No justice: A year later, Thai dissident is still missing in Cambodia Censorship News
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One year after the disappearance of a prominent Thai dissident in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian government has yet to fulfill its duty to investigate its “compulsory disappearance,” Amnesty International has told Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to conduct an independent investigation into the case.
Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a Thai prime minister and critic of the 2014 military coup led by Prayuth Chan-ocha, was taken to the light of day on the streets of the Cambodian capital on June 4 last year and there has been no news of him. .
“This irresponsible investigation is at a standstill. Last year was dragging its feet, pointing fingers and failing to make a credible effort to study what really happened to Wanchalearm, ”Ming Yu Hah, Deputy Regional Director for Amnesty International Campaigns, said on Friday.
“The failure of the Cambodian authorities to properly investigate the forced disappearance of Wanchalearm violates Cambodia’s international human rights obligations.”
At the same time, Amnesty also raised concerns about Thailand’s apparent decision to go after political activists and criticisms of those already living in exile.
The rights watchdog group said the disappearance of Wanchalearm came in June 2016 with “a very disturbing pattern of kidnappings and killings of at least nine Thai activists crossing borders with countries like Laos and Vietnam.”
Human Rights Watch previously condemned the kidnapping as a “new and dangerous turn” for activists and government critics.
Authorities in Cambodia and Thailand have said they are investigating the case.
Trapped in the video
A security camera image released in the media after the kidnapping of 37-year-old Wanchalearm in 2020 shows a blue Toyota Highlander taking the scene out of his Phnom Penh apartment, where they last saw him.
The footage also shows two men who appear to have seen the kidnapping.
Wanchalearm’s sister, Sitanun, told the media that she was talking to him on the phone and heard him shout, “I can’t breathe” before repeatedly interrupting the call.
Witnesses also told reporters that when the attackers attacked Wanchalearm, he repeatedly shouted, “Please help!” in Khmer.
Prior to the incident, they complained that men with unidentified male crew hairstyles were in the shadow of an exiled activist, who is linked to the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship known as the “Red Shirts”.
This month marks a year since Wanchalearm “Tar” Satsaksit Thai government critic was kidnapped in Cambodia on June 4, 2020, with his family overwhelmed but the authorities silent.https://t.co/EoeCxURqv6 pic.twitter.com/FWJM6totZm
– Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) June 2, 2021
Wanchalearm fled Thailand in 2014 Prayuth was established as the country’s military leader shortly after the coup. Prayuth was later elected prime minister in a long-running election manipulated by critics.
Prayuth’s thorn
In the self-defense, Wanchalearm was also politically active, often using social media to criticize Thai authorities. A day before his disappearance, Wanchalearm posted a video clip criticizing the prime minister on Facebook.
Thai authorities filed criminal charges against him before he disappeared.
In 2018, they complained against the activist under the Computer Crimes Act, alleging that he posted anti-government material on a satirical Facebook page.
At the time, Thai authorities also allegedly requested the extradition of Wanchalearm from Cambodia, although Phnom Penh had publicly admitted that it had not received such a request.
Wanchalearm was among a number of activists and political figures who were summoned after the coup in May 2014, and Thai authorities have filed a complaint to the police.
A criminal investigation into the disappearance of Wanchalearm has been formally underway in Cambodia since September 2020, but little progress has been made in this case.
Amnesty says it is “very concerned” that the Cambodian authorities have “failed in their duty” to conduct a “rapid, accurate, impartial and independent investigation” into the case.
Sitanun testified before his Phnom Penh court in December 2020 that his brother had disappeared, but authorities have not reported any new investigative actions.
“The inadequate response of the Cambodian authorities and the lack of due diligence in responding to new evidence provided by the Wanchalearm sisters reinforces basic concerns about the credibility of the investigation,” Amnesty said.
Cambodian police told the AFP news agency they were investigating, but also questioned the abduction of Wanchalearm.
“It simply came to our notice then. We are making every effort to gather clues as to whether or not such a case has occurred in Cambodia, ”said Cambodian National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun.
Thai authorities say they are also investigating, but it is up to Cambodia to direct the investigation.
Seeing the “clear failures” of the Cambodian investigation, Amnesty has called on Thailand’s chief prosecutor to “immediately launch” a formal probe in coordination with the country’s human rights commission to “further protect the independence and credibility of the process.”
The amnesty has also called on the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to take a step back, not only in the case of Wanchalearm, but also in other Thai exiles who have been killed or kidnapped in recent years.
ASEAN, a regional group of 10 countries, has an interference-free policy.
“The silence of ASEAN and AICHR is embarrassing in the face of forced cross-border disappearances in the region,” Amnesty said. “Regional cooperation is at its worst. Wild impunity, injustice and human rights violations facilitate the non-impact of the regional body.”
Amnesty has previously expressed concern over the safety of Thai exiles in neighboring countries where Thai authorities have requested extradition.
In each case, Amnesty said Thai authorities have requested the arrest or extradition of individuals for criminal offenses presented in connection with the exercise of the right to freedom of expression, often while online and in some cases in exile.
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