HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SAYS INVESTIGATION INTO VIOLENCE IN SOUTHERN THAILAND MUST BE SWIFT AND IMPARTIAL

28 October 2004

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today urged that the promised investigation into the deaths earlier this week in southern Thailand of some 87 demonstrators be swift, independent and thorough.

Expressing grave concern over the events in Narathiwat Province on 25 October,
Mrs. Arbour called on the authorities to comply with international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, and the Basic Principles for Treatment of Prisoners.

The High Commissioner also urged authorities to grant the reported 1,300 persons taken into custody under martial law after the incident immediate access to lawyers, relatives and medical care, and to ensure that they are not subjected to any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

“As a party to the civil and political rights Covenant”, Mrs. Arbour said, “Thailand has the obligation to refrain from making arbitrary arrests, to guarantee a fair trial to all detained persons within a reasonable period of time or to release them, to conduct a swift and independent investigation into each death, to refrain from excessive use of force and from the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

“It is important that the investigation into these events, which has reportedly been requested by the authorities, not only be swift, independent and thorough, but that it be seen to be so, with results made public”, Mrs. Arbour said. “This is crucial in bringing to justice people that may be responsible for violations as well as in preventing a climate of impunity from taking hold”.

The High Commissioner added that she remains worried about reports from southern Thailand alleging the use of arbitrary arrests, the continued disappearances of human rights defenders and a mounting number of deaths.

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