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| Southeast Asia |
| U.N. rights chief urges Thailand to roll back military's powers |
| 2016-04-23 |
| [IN.REUTERS] The top U.N. human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... official called on Thailand on Friday to suspend "dangerously sweeping" powers handed to the military and he encouraged dialogue on a draft constitution the military hopes will win approval in an August referendum. The military has ruled since a May 2014 coup and has banned political gatherings, censored media and tried dissenters in military courts. Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has stressed the need to restore political stability after year of fractious and at times violent politics and he has promised to hold an election in mid-2017. Last month, the junta gave soldiers powers of arrest and detention, including the authority to seize assets and search premises, a move rights groups say would only help strengthen the crackdown on critics. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement extending the military's powers was not the answer to "rebuilding Thailand's political landscape". |
| Posted by:Fred |