Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat
I want to prove to the Thai society that the Thai judicial process is still there to uphold righteousness and justice. No matter how rich or influential you are, you are going to be defeated by justice and the law
Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat is a human rights defender who seeks justice for her uncle Mr Wichian Puaksom who was tortured to death at a military camp in Narathiwat province on 5 June 2011. An investigation found he was beaten by instructors as a punishment for disobeying orders and escaping the camp. Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat fought Mr Wichian Puaksom’s case in court but the police failed to seek the prosecution of those responsible for her uncle’s death. She continued to disclose the details of her uncle’s death in a TV interview and in a post on popular local website without mentioning any specific names. She also documented Mr Wichian Puaksom’s case using Facebook. The Thai authorities has retaliated against her by filing a complaint accusing her for defamation and publicizing false information online.
Human rights defenders in Thailand face threats, physical assaults, arbitrary detention, judicial harassment, and extrajudicial killings. HRDs most at risk include those working with migrants, particularly along the border with Burma, those who are fighting for economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights, and those working in the conflict zone of the three border provinces in Southern Thailand. The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand has documented 35 cases of extrajudicial killings of human rights defenders between 2003 – 2012, approximately 30 of whom were HRDs working on ESC rights. Many of these cases have not been properly investigated by the authorities.
