Social justice activists turn to UN chief to rally support

25 Oct, 2010
Bangkok Post

Labour, human rights and political activists are expected to call on United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to look into alleged human rights abuses by the government against Burmese immigrant workers and red shirt protesters when he visits the country Tuesday.

Ban: Arrives in Bangkok on Tuesday

The UN secretary-general is due in Bangkok as part of a four-nation tour of Asia that includes Cambodia, Vietnam and China.

Mr Ban is expected while here for a brief working visit to discuss regional issues and relations between Thailand and the world body with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva over lunch at Government House before moving to the UN regional headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

Mr Abhisit sought a meeting with Mr Ban during his visit to New York last month to attend the UN General Assembly to discuss Thailand's role and cooperation with the UN under the Asean framework and the UN Human Rights Council.

The meeting did not take place because Mr Ban was tied up with other business. The two met later at the opening at the UN headquarters of an exhibition on the living conditions of female prisoners where Mr Abhisit had the opportunity to extend an invitation to Mr Ban to visit Thailand.

Mr Ban is expected after meeting with Mr Abhisit to receive a statement from representatives of the State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation, the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and the Human Rights and Development Foundation calling on him to instruct UN agencies to urgently investigate allegations of abuse committed against migrants deported from Thailand to Burma.

Mr Abhisit signed an order in June this year ordering a crackdown on one million migrants, mostly from Burma, who had failed or were ineligible to enter the nationality verification programme by the Feb 28 deadline.

An agency, the Centre to Suppress, Arrest and Prosecute Alien Workers Who Are Working Underground, has since been set up to carry on the crackdown together with regional committees pooling police, army, navy and other government officers.

The rights groups are demanding investigations into several allegations made since July involving the centre and local officials. They say they have received no response from the government and the abuses are continuing.

Hundreds of red shirt sympathisers are also expected to rally in front of the UN regional headquarters to call on Mr Ban to order an investigation into the government's handling of the dispersal of the red shirt protests in April and May.

A petition, initiated by freelance writer and blogger Rungroj Wanansut and backed by several hundred supporters, is to be submitted to Mr Ban.