These letters were addressed to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General United Nations. There are several others posted at Thai E-News, including one from former detainee from Australia, Conor David Purcell:
Dear Sir,
We are writing to you on behalf of the Thai people who need a true democracy, equal treatment, and human rights the same as people in democratic countries across the world. As the United Nations Secretary General, we would appreciate your concern and actions about the undemocratic conditions and violations of human rights in Thailand by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva’s government since his Democrat Party came to power in January 2009 through underhanded tactics with the support of the military.
In its one year and more in power, the Abhisit government has corrupted and distorted democratic principles, abused human rights, sacrificed freedom of speech and expression of the people, and destroyed the rule of law. The violent crackdown against red shirt demonstrators by the Ahbisit government during April-May 2010 led to the tragedy of more than 91 deaths, thousands of injured, and hundreds of disappeared and imprisoned. In addition, many community radio stations and political web sites were closed down, and more innocents opposed to the current government have been charged and jailed without fair treatment.
The Abhisit government not only refuses to take responsibility for the massacre of red shirts but also uses the Thai media under its complete control to bombard Thai society with distorted information, suggesting without any evidence that the 91 deaths and thousands of injured might have been caused by terrorists who mingled with the red shirt protestors. The Abhisit government used the word “terrorists” to deceive society and justify the use of heavy weapons and live ammunition to kill and maim hundreds of peaceful demonstrators.
Hundreds of people have been imprisoned across the country since May 2010 without fair treatment or the possibility of release on bail. In contrast, the crimes against humanity done by the Abhisit government during April-May 2010 have not been transparently and honestly investigated by acceptable neutral agencies. Furthermore, the state emergency decree that suppresses the basic rights of the people is still enforced in some provinces including Bangkok.
To stop the human rights violations and violence by the Abhisit government, we would like to ask the United Nations, as the representative of the world’s nations, for immediate action to help save innocent lives and bring back basic rights to the Thai people.
With help from the United Nations, we believe that political prisoners could be freed or given bail. The state emergency decree should be lifted across Thailand; freedom of speech, press, and expression should be returned to all Thai people; and fair treatment with respect to human rights should be taken seriously by the current Thai government.
Sincerely,
Progressive Democracy Group
From the red shirts:
October 26, 2010
Your Excellency:
Unfortunately despite noble efforts by organizations under the United Nations, violence and violations of human rights, including the Gwangju massacre during May 18-27, 1980, have repeatedly occurred and are still happening within member countries of the United Nations. Appreciating the need for peace and justice upheld by the United Nations, we, the undersigned Thai citizens, wish to inform and remind your Excellency of the recent brutal violations of human rights that have happened in Thailand during April 2009 and April-May, 2010, which were discussed widely around the globe and condemned officially by the European Council immediately after the tragedy. We, consequently, would like to urge you to look into the cases and demand appropriate actions by the concerned organizations under the United Nations and your authority.
It is clearly evident that the political turmoil and subsequent violent, brutal, and unlawful acts by the royal Thai government against politically active, democratic, and peaceful Thai citizens have occurred after the undemocratic 2006 coup d’état. Video clips of the Royal Thai Army shooting and killing hundreds of armless protestors and foreign news reporters and injuring thousands of innocent Thais mushroomed the Internet, and many Thais even voiced their concerns before the massacres of April 2009 and April/May 2010 to the world and to the United Nations, but sadly to virtually no avail. Acts of violation of the human rights in Thailand are clearly evident, highly suppressive, and totally unacceptable in today’s world standards or any standard. These acts include unconstitutionally imprisoning and murdering red-shirted protestors, using governmental resources to threaten politically active citizens, discriminating against red-shirted citizens when the tyrannical Abhisit administration allocated budgets to provinces in Thailand, and shamelessly corrupting and stealing from the people’s tax monies. The list goes on, and we believe that your Excellency must have been informed somewhat. Should you need specific details regarding the oppressive and brutally violent acts by the Thai government and the Royal Thai Army, you can easily contact red-shirted core leaders, who have still been jailed while the murderous PM and official in charge are, , ironically, living freely and trying to project themselves as legitimate, lawful, and innocent agents. You can also ask Thai citizens on streets, check Youtube videos, and contact the opposition leaders to learn about what the royal Thai government has never reported.
In short, we believe that acts of human rights violation have taken place in Thailand, and we would like you to look into the aforementioned cases by allowing the voices of red-shirted citizens, opposition leaders, victims of the oppressive acts, and all concerned agencies to be heard against the fabricated reports by the tyrannical government under the administration of Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the PM that never once won a majority votes in the history of elections in Thailand. Thailand was once a model for democracy and emerging economy for developing countries; therefore, if Thailand is allowed to be as doomed as it is now, the UN is not properly doing its duties. We are urging you to take the necessary actions to stop the oppression and all kinds of human rights violations in Thailand before a civil war takes place in this “Land of Smiles” as many have feared.
This letter is also embedded in a YouTube clip.
Update 1: Reports on Ban’s visit are here and here. Ban came up with the not unexpected comment that sorting out Thailand’s political crisis is a task for Thais. However, his visit clearly has political overtones, and he cannot ignore the fact that the Abhisit regime used the visit to try and strengthen its legitimacy. That said, the red shirts also made some useful political capital from it.
Update 2: Thai E-News has this video of the red shirt demonstration at the U.N. Building during Ban’s visit:
Political Prisoners in Thailand 