Puea Thai failing on human rights

PPT has been slow getting to Human Right Watch’s annual report for 2024: World Report 2025.

On Thailand, the organization called on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to live up to the pledges it made when seeking votes in 2023 to promote human rights. HRW says that 2024 saw the new conservative regime do “little to end repression or undertake serious reforms…”.

We guess that was part of Thaksin Shinawatra’s deal with the many devils his family now co-habit with.

HRW states: “During the year, there were major setbacks for the restoration of democratic rule in the country, accountability for serious abuses, and the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.”

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said:

Prime Minister Paetongtarn needs to show that her government will respect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and other basic human rights… The Thai government will be judged not by the promises it makes, but by the concrete steps it takes to promote rights and address past and present wrongs.

HRW declared that the “government should immediately end its pervasive repression of free speech, amend or annul abusive laws, and release all those prosecuted for exercising their basic rights…”.