On 17 August 2010, Mr. Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was asked by the media about letters Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer hired by Police Lieutenant Colonel Thaksin Shinawatra, recently wrote to the Thai prime minister and other concerned people on the investigations into the deaths during the protests by the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). In this connection, the Secretary to the Foreign Minister said that there was no need to respond to the said letters — or the ones proceeding them — as Mr. Amsterdam has no legal status to make any demand or act on behalf of the UDD members indicted under Thai law, and hence had no duty to make any such inquiries.
The Secretary to the Foreign Minister also stressed that Thailand respects its obligations under the international human rights conventions to which it is a party. Importantly, he added, those UDD leaders and members have been accorded their rights under Thai laws — be they under the Constitution or the Criminal Procedure Code. These include basic rights of the accused in the criminal justice system, which are in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights referred to by Mr. Amsterdam, Mr. Chavanond said.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th