NEW REGIONAL BODY WILL HELP PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA – UN OFFICIAL

The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed the latest move to set up a regional body to protect the rights of people living in South-East Asia, highlighting the need to appoint "independent and impartial" experts to serve on it when it is launched in October.

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have endorsed the terms of reference for the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, which will be the first regional body of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called the endorsement "an important step forward" in the establishment of the new mechanism, noting that similar bodies are already functioning in other regions, including Africa, the Americas and Europe.

She strongly encouraged ASEAN States to appoint Commission members who are "independent and impartial, and have proven expertise in human rights."

In addition, the national selection processes should include wide consultation and participation by various actors in society, said Ms. Pillay, noting the regional leaders' stated commitment to create a "people-oriented ASEAN."

At the same time, the High Commissioner voiced her disappointment at the Commission's "lack of a clear protection mandate," but said she hoped its role would expand after its launch in October at the 15th ASEAN Summit, to be held in Phuket, Thailand.

She also stressed that close cooperation and partnership with independent and effective national human rights institutions, which are already established in some ASEAN nations, will help to reinforce the new Commission's role.

According to the High Commissioner's office, regional arrangements – such as the one being created by ASEAN – can play an important role in protecting and promoting international human rights standards, including by helping to address shortcomings in national frameworks.
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50,000TH MYANMAR REFUGEE LEAVES THAILAND FOR NEW LIFE IN US, UN REPORTS

An ethnic Karenni schoolteacher is the 50,000th refugee from Myanmar sheltering in Thailand who has left to begin a new life in the United States, marking a milestone for the world's largest resettlement operation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee announced today.

Since 1996, Plu Reh had been living in the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp – where he had taught primary school – in northern Thailand since 1996. Along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, he left Bangkok this morning on a 28-hour journey that will ultimately take him to Camden, New Jersey.

Before departing, he "spoke optimistically to our staff about the opportunities in the United States for a good education for his daughter and for further education for himself and his wife," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler said.

Resettlement from the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border began in 2004, but picked up pace in early 2005 when the US offered homes to the uprooted.

"For refugees around the world, return to their home country is usually the preferred option," Mr. Spindler said.

But most of the Myanmar refugees, most of whom had been for over two decades in Thailand where they are not allowed to settle permanently, do not see any chance of returning to their home country.

"So for them, resettlement in a third country is the best option," the UNHCR spokesperson said, expressing gratitude to countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden for offering refugees a chance to restart their lives.

Currently, 112,000 registered Myanmar refugees live in the nine camps, and the agency expects to resettle a further 6,000-7,000 this year.
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VAST STRETCH OF AFRICAN SAVANNAH RIPE FOR COMMERCIAL FARMING – UN

Unlocking the potential of a massive stretch of savannah spanning 25 African nations could boost commercial farming on the continent, according to a new United Nations study.

Some 400 million hectares in the Guinea Savannah zone – stretching from Senegal to South Africa – are ripe for commodity production, but at present, only 10 per cent of that area is actually being farmed, according to the book published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank.

It compares the African savannah with similar areas in north-east Thailand and the Cerrado region of Brazil, which share similar disadvantages. In the case of Thailand, there was abundant but unreliable rainfall, poor soils and a high population density, while in the Cerrado, remoteness, soils prone to acidity and low population were key problems.

In both Thailand and Brazil, governments helped spur agricultural growth "characterized by favourable macroeconomic policies, adequate infrastructure, a strong human capital base, competent government administration, and political instability," the study noted.

Africa, it argued, is better placed to reach its targets due to its use of new technologies; economic, population and urban growth; improved business climates in many countries; and stepped up foreign and domestic investment in agriculture, among other factors.

The smallholder-led agricultural transformation which took place in Thailand, rather than the large-scale farming led by wealthy farmers in Brazil, is a much better model for Africa to follow to ensure equitable development.

"Large-scale mechanized production does not offer any obvious cost advantages, except under certain very specific circumstances and is far more likely to lead to social conflict," said Michael Morris, the World Bank's Lead Agricultural Economist.

Commercializing agriculture will help to dampen the environmental effects of changing how the land is used in the Guinea Savannah, the study found.

However, intensification could also lead to the destruction of vulnerable ecosystems and the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, it warned, calling on governments to monitor environmental impacts and take action to minimize damage.
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THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES

THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES
New York, Jun 12 2009 11:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) said today it is working with the Thai Government to help meet the needs of some 2,000 Karen villagers who fled Myanmar in early June.

UNHCR staff have now verified the number of recent arrivals after visiting five sites in northern Thailand where Karen villagers are taking shelter.

"Although we cannot absolutely say this is the total number who have crossed the Moei River to Thailand in this period, we have not seen evidence of significantly higher numbers," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=4a3229012">told reporters in Geneva.

He said that by and large, the Karen villagers say they fled in fear of conscription by armed forces or of forced labour as porters for armed forces. "Those who mentioned military action mostly said they fled in anticipation of fighting as the Myanmar army and their allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, approached rebel Karen National Union bases and villages.

"Only a few said their villages had actually been shelled, but while our staff interviewed the recent arrivals on the Thai side of the border on Tuesday and Thursday, they heard shelling on the Myanmar side," he added.

According to UNHCR, Thai authorities have responded "quickly and sympathetically" to the needs of the new arrivals. The agency is working with the Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meet the needs of the Karen villagers, who are taking shelter mostly in temples, in a communal hall and in private Thai homes in four villages.

A large group at a fifth place called Mae Usu who were reported to be sheltering in a cave are actually in a large field that was once the site of a refugee camp many years ago, Mr. Spindler noted. "This group, estimated at between 700 and 900 people, is living in seasonal agricultural houses that farmers use when they are harvesting crops, but which are normally empty at this time of year."

UNHCR said that the new arrivals at this location have some possessions they brought with them, and also have received rice, blankets and other relief items from the Thai-Burma Border Consortium, a NGO that has been serving Karen refugees along the border since the 1980s.

"Although some of the Karen villagers, who are mostly farmers, managed to bring some possessions with them, others said they fled with only the clothes on their back," said Mr. Spindler.

Among the most urgently needed items are clothes, especially baby clothes, as well as soap, and bamboo pallets to keep from having to sleep in the mud amid heavy rains. UNHCR has already distributed 200 plastic sheets to help with emergency shelter.
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Thailand: Replace Flawed Rights Panel

Unqualified Candidates Were Selected by Secret and Illegal Process

May 13, 2009

(New York) - The newly appointed members of Thailand's National Human Rights Commission, whose selection process violated constitutional requirements and international standards, should resign to restore the commission's credibility, Human Rights Watch said today. Upcoming constitutional reforms should include a new selection process that will ensure independence, transparency, public scrutiny, and broad-based participation.

The seven new members approved by the Senate on May 1, 2009, in a closed session, include one who was a subject of a commission investigation and several with no experience in human rights. Several highly qualified candidates were rejected.

"Thailand is facing grave human rights challenges and needs a serious and committed commission to work on them," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Instead, inexperienced and unqualified people were placed on this commission in a way that clearly broke the rules. The best thing these members can do for human rights is to step down."

On March 11, the secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) invited applications for new commissioners after the terms of the previous commissioners had expired. The commission received 133 applications. The selection committee, consisting of five senior judges and the president of the parliament, met to consider the applications on April 8. On April 10, the committee sent seven nominees, including one who has been the subject of a commission investigation, to the Senate for consideration and approval. The Senate effectively rubber-stamped the committee's nominees.

The seven nominees were: Police General Vanchai Srinuwalnad, assistant commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police; Parinya Sirisarakarn, former member of the Constitution Drafting Assembly of Thailand (2007) and a prominent industrialist; Paibool Varahapaitoorn, secretary to the Office of the Constitutional Court; Visa Penjamano, inspector-general, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security; Taejing Siripanich, secretary, Don't Drive Drunk Foundation; Nirand Pithakwachara, former elected senator for Ubon Ratchathani; and Professor Amara Pongsapich, former dean, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

The new commissioners do not come from a diverse range of social backgrounds, nor do any of them represent human rights groups. More important, local human rights groups have protested that the new commissioners lack necessary first-hand experience in protecting and promoting human rights. Vanchai, Parinya, Paibool, and Visa, in particular, have no experience at all and have no public record of demonstrating basic understanding of human rights.

In 2007, Parinya was named in a commission investigation as responsible for causing environmental damage in Thailand's northeastern region, where he holds a license to extract salt. Parinya's lack of commitment to promoting universal human rights was evident in an oral presentation to the Thai Senate in which he dismissed "Western criticisms of Burma" as "foreign interference" in domestic affairs. In that light, if made a commissioner, he stated that he would not welcome international intervention on human rights issues in Thailand.

Human Rights Watch said that candidates who have solid records in defending human rights were rejected, including: the Muslim activist Angkhana Neelapaijit, from the Working Group on Justice for Peace, who has spent many years documenting and exposing abuses in the southern border provinces; Wallop Tangkananurak, a prominent child rights defender; and Pairoj Polpetch, who monitors compliance of Thai laws with international human rights standards.

"None of the new human rights commissioners has a reputation for working on human rights," said Adams. "The prominent human rights professionals who applied were ignored, calling into question whether the commission will be serious or has been set up to serve entrenched interests."

Human Rights Watch said that the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has committed itself to the protection of human rights and to differentiate itself from its recent predecessors, including the abusive government of Thaksin Shinawatra and the military junta. But neither the government nor the opposition party has made any effort to discuss the need to ensure the selection of independent and qualified human rights commissioners as part of planned constitutional reforms.

Under section 256 of the 2007 Constitution of Thailand, the NHRC commissioners should be persons "having apparent knowledge and experiences in the protection of rights and liberties of the people, having regard also to the participation of representatives from private organizations in the field of human rights."

The Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions on human rights ("The Paris Principles"), which were adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 1993, state that: "The composition of the national institution and the appointment of its members, whether by means of an election or otherwise, shall be established in accordance with a procedure which affords all necessary guarantees to ensure the pluralist representation of the social forces (of civilian society) involved in the protection and promotion of human rights." The Paris Principles state that members of government departments, if included in a national human rights commission, "should participate in the deliberations only in an advisory capacity."

"The commissioners should resign to make it possible for a new selection," said Adams. "To prevent the same mistakes from being made again, the constitution should be amended to establish a selection process that ensures independence, transparency, public scrutiny, and broad-based participation in the selection of NHRC commissioners."

The selection of the previous commission was made under the terms of the 1997 Constitution and was based on the active involvement of representatives of civil society, the media, and other social sectors, unlike the exclusive panel of judges and one representative of the incumbent party that made the new selections under the military-junta-sponsored constitution of 2007.

This new selection committee chose the seven nominees based solely upon the written forms and supporting documents that they submitted. In contrast, the nominees to the previous commission were thoroughly examined by the Senate before approval. There was virtually no attempt in the process used this year to inform the public about what was going on, let alone to allow public scrutiny and debate on the appropriateness of the short-listed candidates. An online form to leave questions on the Senate website was not available until the afternoon before the cutoff date.

Competence, efficiency, and independence have been the main challenges facing the human rights body from its inception. Former Prime Minister Thaksin had encouraged government officials and the security forces to disregard investigations and recommendations of the commission concerning state-sanctioned abuses. These included the 2003 "war on drugs" and extrajudicial tactics used by various police and security units in the context of counterinsurgency in Thailand's southern border provinces. Annual budget allocations for the commission had also been restricted by the government.

Yet some commissioners and staff worked hard to monitor and investigate abuses across Thailand. Some of their interventions in the southern border provinces saved the lives of victims of arbitrary arrests and torture. Similarly, they had exposed and stopped a number of government and private projects that severely endangered public safety and the environment across the country.

BAN LAMENTS SHUTDOWN OF SUMMIT FOR ASIAN LEADERS IN THAILAND

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep regret on Saturday at the postponement of a gathering of Asian leaders in Thailand amid security concerns over mass protests in the area.

"I understand the circumstances that led the Thai Government to take this difficult decision," Mr. Ban said following the cancellation of the summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the resort town of Pattaya.

Mr. Ban, who was to co-chair the summit with Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, said that he valued "the long-standing relationship between ASEAN and the United Nations and their cooperation in various fields.

"While I had hoped to have exchanges with the leaders of ASEAN and its dialogue partners, I continue to look forward to engaging again with them in the near future."

The Secretary-General expressed hope for an early restoration of normalcy in Thailand and for the se
ttlement of differences through dialogue and peaceful means.
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Thailand: Resolve ‘Disappearance’ Case

(New York) - The new government of Thailand should ensure that those responsible for the enforced disappearance and presumed murder of prominent Muslim human rights lawyer, Somchai Neelappaijit, are finally brought to justice, Human Rights Watch said today, five years after his abduction.

On March 12, 2004, Somchai was assaulted and pulled from his car in Bangkok, allegedly by five police officers. He was never seen again. Somchai was chairman of Thailand's Muslim Lawyers Association and vice-chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Lawyers Council of Thailand. At the time, he was investigating and reporting on widespread police torture of Muslims in the insurgency-ridden southern border provinces.

In a much-publicized attempt to demonstrate his commitment to human rights and the rule of law, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on January 21, 2009, ordered the Royal Thai Police and the Justice Ministry to accelerate their investigation into the case.

"Somchai's 'disappearance' reflects glaring problems of state-sponsored abuses in Thailand," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "While Prime Minister Abhisit's order is a good sign, actions speak louder than words. Now is the time to show concrete progress in the investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice."

Four Thai prime ministers in the past five years - Thaksin Shinawatra, Gen. Surayud Chulanont, Samak Sundaravej, and Somchai Wongsawat - have acknowledged that police and government officials were involved in Somchai's abduction and killing. But none of them brought the perpetrators to justice. Key questions remain unanswered, including who ordered the abduction and presumed killing of Somchai and who was involved in obstructing justice.

Five police officers - Police Maj. Ngern Tongsuk, Police Lt. Col. Sinchai Nimbunkampong, Police Lance Cpl. Chaiweng Paduang, Police Sgt. Rundorn Sithiket, and Police Lt. Col. Chadchai Leiamsa-ngoun - were arrested in April 2004 in connection with Somchai's case and charged with coercion and robbery. None were charged with the more serious crimes of abduction or other offenses connected to the enforced disappearance.

On January 12, 2006, the Central Criminal Court found Police Maj. Ngern guilty of physically assaulting Somchai, and sentenced him to three years in prison. The other four police officers were acquitted.

Police Maj. Ngern, who had been free on bail while appealing his case, was reported "missing" in a mudslide on September 19, 2008 while supervising his construction business on the Thai-Burmese border.

The assistant national chief, Police Lt. Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, who was hand-picked by Prime Minister Abhisit to supervise the investigation, was quoted in media reports on January 27 as saying: "Police involvement in this case has obstructed the investigation. With strong backing from the new government, the sky is now clearing up and progress can be made. First, we must find Somchai's body. After that, arrest warrants on additional suspects will be issued. No one will be spared, including senior police officers."

"The prominence of Somchai's case has made it difficult for Thai authorities to look the other way," said Adams. "Solving this case will give hope to many, including in the south, that powerful people can be held accountable."

While efforts to investigate and prosecute the case have been extremely weak, Somchai's case is the only enforced disappearance that has led to any prosecution or has received significant attention from Thai authorities. In a March 2007 report, "It Was Like Suddenly My Son No Longer Existed," Human Rights Watch documented a pattern of enforced disappearances and other abuses by the security forces. Successive governments have done nothing to hold abusive officers accountable for serious crimes.

Human Rights Watch called upon the Thai government to nullify the 2005 Emergency Decree on Government Administration in Emergency Situations (Emergency Decree) and repeal the 1914 Martial Law Act in order to protect the basic rights of all Thais and bring Thai law into conformity with international standards.

Human Rights Watch said that the Thai government has enforced laws and regulations in a way that increased the vulnerability of suspects in the southern border provinces, leaving them vulnerable to torture, "disappearance," and extrajudicial killing during pre-charge detention.

The Martial Law Act allows seven days of pre-charge detention. After that, suspects can be detained for another 30 days under the Emergency Decree, which was issued by the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. (See Human Rights Watch analysis of the Emergency Decree in a letter to Thaksin, dated August 4, 2005: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/08/04/thaila11592.htm ). Suspects are also prohibited from having access to family and lawyer visits during the first 72 hours of their detention.

Resentment against human rights abuses by Thai authorities is among the factors fueling an increasingly brutal insurgency in southern Thailand in which separatist militants have carried out a string of deadly attacks on civilia

A policy statement Prime Minister Abhisit delivered to Parliament on December 30 stressed that justice will be integral to resolution of the conflict in the southern border provinces, which has claimed more than 3,500 lives since January 2004.

Human Rights Watch urged Prime Minister Abhisit to take all necessary steps to stop the practice of enforced disappearances, including making enforced disappearance a specific criminal offense and ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. In addition, Thai authorities should ensure that all persons detained by law enforcement and security forces are held at recognized places of detention, and are not subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Authorities should immediately make the whereabouts of detainees known to family and lawyers.

"Prime Minister Abhisit needs to show political courage to end once and for all the enforced disappearances by the security forces," said Adams. "This is the only way to ensure that justice in Thailand is not also put on the list of the 'disappeared'."

DRUG RESISTANCE THREATENS GLOBAL PROGRESS TO CONTROL MALARIA, WARNS UN AGENCY

DRUG RESISTANCE THREATENS GLOBAL PROGRESS TO CONTROL MALARIA, WARNS UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 25 2009 10:00AM

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the emergence of a drug-resistant form of malaria in South-East Asia could seriously undermine global successes in controlling the disease.

According to a news release issued by the Geneva-based agency, there is new evidence of parasites resistant to artemisinin – the main drug used to treat the disease – along the border between Cambodia and Thailand where workers walk for miles every day to clear forests.

"If we do not put a stop to the drug-resistant malaria situation that has been documented in the Thai-Cambodia border, it could spread rapidly to neighbouring countries and threaten our efforts to control this deadly disease," said Dr. Hiroki Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General.

The WHO notes that huge strides have been made in the last ten years to reduce the burden of malaria, which is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes and is one of the world's major killer diseases.

Artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs, have proven to be a major breakthrough in treating malaria, succeeding in more than 90 per cent of cases, the agency stated. However, malaria drug resistance now emerging along the Thai-Cambodia border threatens these gains.

Supported by a $22.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO will aim to contain artemisinin resistant malaria parasites before they spread, working in collaboration with key partners.

"We know that malaria can be treated and prevented," said Dr. Regina Rabinovich, Director of Infectious Diseases Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "and if we lose the key treatment available at this time, it's like living in a house with a half a roof."

Malaria poses a risk to half of the world's population and more than one million people die of the disease each year. Obstacles to controlling the disease include drug resistance in the parasite that causes the disease, as well as resistance of the vector mosquito to insecticides, environmental factors and counterfeit medicines.

According to WHO, there are no effective alternatives to artemisinins for the treatment of malaria either on the market or nearing the end of the drug development process.
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