Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

After an absence for a few days for a fascinating meeting of and on HRDs in York university, UK, on which I will report more on another occasion, I return to my regular blog with a case that involves two kinds of hearing: 

Human rights defenders and trade unionists Ms Jittra Kotchadej, Ms Boonrod Paiwong and Mr Soonthorn Boonyord, will get another hearing at the Criminal Court in Bangkok from 28 to 30 May 2013. Their trial was adjourned on 30 August 2012, because the hearings of the witnesses for the prosecution took longer than expected.  There were observers from Thai labour and human rights organisations, Front Line Defenders, and the EU Delegation to Thailand. The three human rights defenders are charged with breaches of the peace and disobeying an order to disperse, in connection to a peaceful assembly held on 27 August 2009 demanding that the government take action to assist 2,000 workers dismissed by Triumph International factories. They could be imprisoned, if found guilty, for a maximum of five years and/or each be fined up to 10,000 Thai Baht (€252). In response to their peaceful demonstration, the police used Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) as a means to forcefully disperse the demonstration. Many of the labour activists were later diagnosed with hearing problems as a result of the usage of the LRAD machine by the police. 

For more information on this case see https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/19783 of 10 September 2012.

This entry was posted on May 20, 2013 at 14:27 and is filed under Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders.

Tags: acoustic devices, Bangkok, freedom of demonstration, Front Line, Frontline Defenders, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, labour activists, labour rights, Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD, peaceful assembly, peaceful demonstration, peaceful protest, Thailand, trade unionists, trial observation, women human rights defenders