New York - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday questioned
whether Thailand's upcoming general election Sunday will be 'free and
fair' in light of evidence that the military has interfered in the
process.
The New York-based human rights group faulted Thailand's Election
Commission for failing to act on growing evidence that the military
has tried to undermine the chances of the People Power Party, a
political party close to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was
ousted by a coup on September 19, 2006, from winning the election.
HRW noted that a military-backed Constitutional Tribunal on May 30
this year dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party and banned 111
TRT politicians (including Thaksin) from politics for five years for
allegedly manipulating the last general election of April 2, 2006.
'The courts dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party for manipulating the
electoral process, but now the junta is doing the same thing,' said
Elaine Pearson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. 'Military
leaders are maneuvering to influence voting results and to prevent
Thaksin's allies from returning to government.'
Thailand has been under an interim government for the past 15
months, appointed by the military after its September 19, 2006 coup
that toppled Thaksin and his cabinet on charges of corruption and
dividing the nation.
The junta has promised to restore full democracy this year with a
general election scheduled on Sunday.
Despite efforts to destroy Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai political
machine, it has reemerged as a player in the upcoming polls in the
guise of the People Power Party, deemed a reincarnation of TRT.
The PPP is expected to win the largest number of contested seats
Sunday, but may be blocked from leading the next government by a
post-polling dissolution, from breaking election laws, or by a
coalition of smaller parties teaming up against it to exclude it from
power, according to Thai analysts.
Human Rights Watch noted that its been revealed that the junta had
issued an internal memo outlining its plan and ordered various
operations to harass, block, and discredit the People Power Party and
its supporters.
The plan also included the mobilization of army-run television
channels, radio stations, intelligence, and security agencies to
present reports and circulate rumors discrediting the People Power
Party and Thaksin, said HRW.
'By endorsing a plan to discredit and harass political candidates,
the junta has violated its legal obligation to remain neutral in the
elections,' said Pearson.
People Power Party candidates have claimed harassment and
intimidation by the military, but the Election Commission has yet to
act on those complaints.
Martial law is still in effect in 31 Thai provinces, mostly
Thaksin's political strongholds in the north and northeast of the
country, giving the military the right to ban political gatherings,
censor the media, and detain people without charge, said the HRW.
'Imposing martial law prevents political parties from competing on
a level playing field,' said Pearson. 'Although Thaksin and his
allies showed contempt for human rights and democracy, it is up to
the Thai voters, not the military, to decide who should govern the
country.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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