On 27 February, Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action message to its worldwide network of activists, asking for appeals to be sent to the Thai authorities over threats to human rights defender Angkhana Neelaphaijit.

Khun Angkhana is the wife of disappeared lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit who was last seen on 12 March 2004. She has since become a leading advocate of human rights in Thailand, especially with respect to violations of human rights by the Thai authorities in the south of the country.

5 policemen were charged in connection with Somchai's disappearance in a case where Khun Angkhana personally conducted part of the court hearings. Only one police officer was found guilty in that case and continuing investigations have been marked by official delays and obstructions.

Khun Angkhana is protected under the Witness Protection Act, which stipulates that when police are involved in a case, as here, protection must be provided by civilian officers. So far, Khun Angkhana has been protected by Ministry of Justice officials under the Department of Special Investigations (DSI).

However, the newly elected government of Samak Sundaravej has appointed as Minister of Justice Sompong Amornwiwat, elder brother of a former DSI Director-General Police General Sombat Amornwiwat, who was removed following an almost complete lack of progress in investigating the disappearance of Somchai and other high profile cases involving the killings of human rights defenders.

2 days ago, Minister Sompong ordered the abrupt dismissal of DSI D-G Sunai Manomaiudom, a civilian who had replaced Pol Gen Sombat, and brought in Police Colonel Thawee Sodsong, formerly Deputy D-G of the DSI under Pol Gen Sombat. Po Col Thawee was also the commanding officer of the 5 policemen accused of complicity in the disappearance of Khun Angkhana's husband and, according to the Urgent Action appeal, is widely suspected of having given the orders for the disappearance.

The DSI has now decided, according to information obtained by Amnesty International, that only police officers will provide witness protection as of 1 March 2008.

Khun Angkhana therefore faces the prospect of being ‘protected' by the very people suspected of disappearing her husband. She has expressed fears for her safety and that of her children.

This Urgent Action from Amnesty International asks its network members all around to world to send appeals asking for Khun Angkhana to be provided with protection by officials other than police officers. AI members are asked to send their appeals to Prime Minister Samak, Minister of Justice Sompong, Royal Thai Police Chief Pol Gen Seripisuth Temiyavej, and the incoming D-G of the DSI. AI also asks its members to send copies of their appeals to the Thai embassies in their countries.

Amnesty International issues an average of 15-20 Urgent Action appeals each week. Thailand is only occasionally the target of such appeals and recent cases have almost all concerned violations of the rights of refugees in Thailand.