<p>On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, our organizations call on the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to adequately investigate all cases of enforced disappearances in their respective countries, determine the fate or whereabouts of the victims, and ensure the victims&rsquo; families have effective access to justice and receive adequate reparations.</p>

<p>The Myanmar government must determine the fate or whereabouts of scores of Rohingya who remain missing nearly four years after the beginning of Myanmar government security forces&rsquo; &ldquo;clearance operations&rdquo; in northern Rakhine State, <a href="https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/burma/un-body-petitioned-over-enforced-disappearance-of-rohingya-in-rakhine">FIDH</a> and its member organizations Odhikar and ALTSEAN-Burma urged today (27 August).</p>

<p>Thailand has failed to address concerns raised by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (CCPR) with regard to key civil and political rights, FIDH and its member organizations Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) said today.</p>

<p>In light of the serious threat posed to prisoners by the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FIDH and its undersigned member organisations recall governments&#39; obligation to ensure the safety and health of detained individuals that are under their responsibility, and launch a campaign, #ForFreedom, to call for the release of all jailed human rights defenders (HRDs).</p>

<p>Thai authorities must immediately investigate the disappearance of Od Sayavong, a Lao activist seeking asylum, <a href="https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/thailand/investigate-disappearance-of-lao-activist-seeking-asylum">FIDH and its member organization Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR)</a> urged today.</p>

<p><section><section> <p>The Thai government should end all lèse-majesté prosecutions and amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse-majesté) to bring it in line with international law, a United Nations (UN) expert said on 6 October 2017.</p> </section></section></p>

<h2><strong>INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE VICTIMS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES</strong></h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Thai Lawyers for Human Rights and the Cross Cultural Foundation write to you on this day, the 2017 International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, to express our serious concern at the ongoing delay in passing legislation aimed at protecting against torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance and the </div>

<p>The number of individuals arrested on lèse-majesté charges since the May 2014 military coup has passed the 100 mark, FIDH and its member organizations Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) said today.</p> <p>“In less than three years, the military junta has generated a surge in the number of political prisoners detained under lèse-majesté by abusing a draconian law that is inconsistent with Thailand’s international obligations,”&nbsp;said FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Thailand’s worsening human rights record will expose the military junta to further international embarrassment during a review by a United Nations (UN) human rights body, FIDH and its member organizations Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) said today.</p>