UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia welcomes Thailand’s ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

The ratification comes one year after the entry into force of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance which represents a critical milestone in Thailand’s domestic law criminalizing torture and enforced disappearances.

“By ratifying the ICPPED, Thailand reaffirms its commitments made during its last Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and during the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  to protect all persons from enforced disappearances and to eliminate such heinous crimes that violate a wide range of human rights and inflict indelible and long-lasting trauma on the lives of families and communities,” said Cynthia Veliko, Regional Representative of the UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia.

As of August 2023, Thailand has 77 cases of enforced disappearances pending with the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, which are yet to be resolved.

“Their families and communities have been forced to live with unbearable uncertainty, some for decades. They are entitled to know the truth and must receive redress,” Veliko said.

In this context, Article 24 of the Convention recognizes that each victim has the right to know the truth regarding the circumstances of the enforced disappearance, the progress and results of the investigation into the fate of the disappeared person as well as the right to obtain reparation and prompt, fair and adequate compensation.

“All branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) are bound by the obligations articulated in the Convention. It will be critical that the Government ensures justice and the resolution of past cases, as well as the timely and comprehensive integration of the provisions of the ICPPED into national laws, policies and practices for purposes of full compliance and accountability,” Veliko said.

For more information and media requests, please contact: Wannaporn Samutassadong wannaporn.samutassadong@un.org)