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| Southeast Asia |
| UN official slams Thai emergency decree |
| 2006-07-19 |
| A UN official said Tuesday a state of emergency imposed on three insurgency-wracked south Thailand provinces was a license for police and military to "get away with murder." Earlier Tuesday, Thailand's Cabinet approved a three-month extension of the state of emergency in the Muslim-majority provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. Emergency rule lets the government impose curfews, prohibit public gatherings, censor and ban publications, detain suspects without charge, confiscate property and tap telephones. It also affords officials legal immunity for acts, including killings, carried out under its provisions. "The emergency decree makes it possible for soldiers and police officers get away with murder," said Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. He said this in a statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. Alston said parts of the decree violate international human rights law and ignore the right to life, and urged the government to repeal those parts. "Impunity for violence committed by the security forces has been an ongoing problem in Thailand, but the emergency decree has gone even further and makes impunity look like the official policy," Alston said in the statement. The state of emergency was first imposed in July last year and must be renewed every three months. "The state of emergency is still needed for the administration in the three southern provinces, so the Cabinet has approved the proposal to extend the decree of a state of emergency for another three months," Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit said. Human rights activists say the emergency rule has failed to contain growing violence in the area, and has worsened the situation by allowing violations of constitutional rights. The government's efforts to end the violence, focusing on tighter security, have met with little success, and some critics suggest more emphasis be given to economic development to win the support of southern Muslims. Many Muslims resent the central government and feel they are treated like second-class citizens in the predominantly Buddhist country. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #9 Many Muslims resent the central government and feel they are treated like second-class citizens in the predominantly Buddhist country. Unlike Buddhists in say, Saudi Arabia, who are treated as first-class citizens? The sheer impudence of this UN Where was he when the teachers were being beheaded? Swine. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2006-07-19 15:00 |
| #8 Thailand should have done this years ago. Muzzies are not 2nd class citizens...no way in hell they could ever rate that high. They are invaders, wherever they park their useless asses. They intend to move in and take over. They have a RIGHT to do so. Some camel fu**ker told them so. |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-07-19 11:03 |
| #7 Mr. Alston does not poke his head out the dining room often. He relies on briefings from the bus boys. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-07-19 09:19 |
| #6 Maybe he should be the United Nations Special Rapporteur on civilizational suicide? |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2006-07-19 08:36 |
| #5 Meanwhile, Mr Alston, you have done precisely what regarding extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in, say, Darfur? |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-07-19 08:07 |
| #4 Another reason the UN is a joke. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-07-19 07:48 |
| #3 Many Muslims resent the central government and feel they are treated like second-class citizens in the predominantly Buddhist country. Yea, and government is trampling over their right to engage in their cultural activities such as headlopping and booming. In fact, they should be the first class citizens! |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-07-19 07:28 |
| #2 Oops, that was me. Bye. |
| Posted by: flyover 2006-07-19 07:05 |
| #1 Sitting in his plush Geneva UN office generously provide by Other People's Money, Phillip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions - appointed by the Holy High Commissioner of UN Rapporteurs, wagged his perfectly manicured finger at Thailand's Democratically Elected Government for FINALLY taking its duty to protect its citizens seriously - and SPECULATED that the decree, lawfully promulgated by said Democratically Elected Government, might perhaps maybe possibly potentially be abused. Then the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, appointed by the Holy High Commissioner of UN Rapporteurs, went to a sumptuous lunch, generously provided for such Holy High Rapporteurs by Other People's Money, in a perfectly safe secure lavish setting on the shores of Lake Geneve, confident he had properly executed the powers vested in him, satisfied in his position and his place, and especially pleased with the Dom vintage offered. |
| Posted by: Ulomoper Omush7868 2006-07-19 07:03 |