Four human rights organizations have published an open letter to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, highlighting 10 key human rights priorities remaining unaddressed under previous administrations, from space for civil society and accountability for extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances to gender equality, and urged the new government to begin the implementation of their recommendations within the first 100 days in office.

A new report by the CIVICUS Monitor rates civic space in Thailand as 'repressed,' as the royal defamation law continues to be used to criminalise dissent and spyware has been used against activists. Protesters were also prosecuted and faced excessive force while concerns remain about a restrictive NGO bill. 

<p>A new report published by the human rights group ARTICLE 19 has found that the Thai government&rsquo;s treatment of pro-democracy protesters violated their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including by exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic to enact repressive emergency measures and using the royal defamation law against protesters.</p>

<p>Declared 2 years ago to combat the spread of Covid-19, Thailand&rsquo;s State of Emergency has resulted in diminished freedom of expression and assembly. &nbsp;It has also been used as grounds for cracking down on pro-democracy protests and prosecuting activists.</p>

<p>Members of civil society organizations from across the country marched on the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security on 24 March to protest against the new non-profit organization bill, concerned that it would be used to restrict freedom of association in Thailand.</p>

<p>Thailand&rsquo;s rating remains &lsquo;Not Free&rsquo; in Freedom House&rsquo;s 2022 <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2022/global-expansion-authoritarian-rule">Freedom in the World</a> report, with its score dropping from last year&rsquo;s 30 out of 100 to 29, while the report notes a global threat to freedom and democracy and the expansion of authoritarian regimes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It has only been one month since the declaration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but already the CIVICUS Monitor is documenting an alarming deterioration in civic space across 40 countries. A&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://monitor.civicus.org/COVID19/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587444730621000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGC-RwDkf7IVrVGh8EUUfraM74xcg" href="https://monitor.civicus.org/COVID19/" target="_blank">new brief</a>&nbsp;released today by the CIVICUS Monitor, shows that many governments are responding to the pandemic in an unjustifiable and unnecessary manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A new report by CIVICUS Monitor, a global research collaboration which rates and tracks respect for fundamental freedoms in 196 countries, shows that the assault on civil society and fundamental freedoms has persisted in Asia.</p>

<p>Manushya Foundation, CIVICUS and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) call on the Government of Lao PDR to remove all unwarranted restrictions on civic space in the country ahead of its human rights review to be held at the United Nations (UN) in January-February 2020. The review will mark five years since UN member states made 33 recommendations to the Lao government that directly relate to barriers to open civic space. As of today, the government has partially implemented only three recommendations.</p>