Thai Government Working With NGO to End Torture of Suspects in Custody
The Thai Justice Ministry and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), an international NGO, are working in unison to draw up guidelines that would prevent the torture of suspects in the custody of Thai authorities.
In the past and even now, Thailand has had major problems with the torture and abuse of those detained by government authorities such as the police and military, which has been a major stain on the country’s international standing.
The new guidelines would set up standards and protections for how law enforcement officers could treat those accused of crimes–especially if the first hours of custody when torture is more likely to occur.
In particular, Muslim insurgents from the south of Thailand, political dissidents, and those deemed a threat to national security have been seen the brunt of torture and mistreatment by Thai officials.
“Even though Hollywood may find it sexy, we can never achieve national security and stability by torturing people,” APT’s programme officer for Asia Pacific Shazeera Zawawi said. “Moreover, in a society that favors torturing, no one is safe from becoming the victim themselves.”
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