Government continues to ignore human rights and endanger lives

In The Nation (24 February 2010), Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is reported as confirming that the Abhisit Vejjajiva government is a multiple human rights abuser when it comes to refugees and migrants to Thailand.

Kasit stated that “more than half of the 3,000 Karen refugees had already been deported, and were now safe’, dismissing all concerns about their welfare.” Sounding very like other authoritarian dolts, the “foreign minister also urged foreign non-governmental organisations to find funds to help the refugees if they were really worried about their conditions.”

The really interesting things about this case is how the military and Ministry of Foreign Affairs played the NGOs – both local and foreign – the UN, and the National Human Rights Commission on this. They talked with them but kept going ahead with their deportations. The NHRC, which got plenty of television coverage during its visit to the area, counts for nothing.

As PPT stated previously, this government now has an odious reputation in this area of international concern. It seems clear that Kasit and the government couldn’t care less.

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