Cat C Tha 2 7418 E
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION Committee against Torture Second periodic report submitted by Thailand under article 19 of the Convention pursuant to the optional reporting procedure, due in 2018* [Date received: 4 January 2021] * The present document is being issued without formal editing. GE. Abbreviations/Glossary ICPPED International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Committee Committee Against Torture CAT/Convention Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment DDPM Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation DSI The Department of Special Investigation MFA The Ministry of Foreign Affairs MOJ The Ministry of Justice MOPH The Ministry of Public Health MSDHS The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security NACC The National Anti-Corruption Commission NCPO The National Council for Peace and Order NHRC The National Human Rights Commission NHSO The National Health Security Office ONCB The Office of the Narcotics Control Board OPCAT Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment PACC The Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission RLPD The Rights and Liberties Protection Department WPO The Witness Protection Office 2 Introduction 1. The present report has been prepared on the basis of the list of issues (CAT/C/THA/QPR/2) prepared by the Committee against Torture pursuant to the optional reporting procedure. 2. In preparing this report, the Royal Thai Government liaised with concerned government agencies, civil society organisations and human rights experts. Not only was information gathered through documents submitted from various agencies and organisations, but also from meetings and interviews with concerned individuals throughout the country. Unless stated otherwise, information that appears in this report relates to the implementation of the Convention between May 2014 and May 2020. Follow up questions from the previous reporting cycle 3. See the response below to Paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 28 of the list of issues prior to reporting. Articles 1 and 4 Reply to paragraph 2 of the list of issues (CAT/C/THA/QPR/2) 4. Thailand has demonstrated continued political commitment at the highest level to the promotion and protection of human rights, including the fight against torture, which is reflected in various occasions. During the announcement of human rights as a national agenda for 2018-2019 on 12 February 2018, the Prime Minister attached importance to preventive and awareness-raising measures, as well as legislation prohibiting torture in support of the implementation of the Convention. 5. Under Thai law, torture and enforced disappearance are absolutely prohibited. No statutes allow or justify anyone to torture or enforce others to disappear. Referring to paragraph 36 of the initial report,1 if anyone commits an act of torture or enforced disappearance, such person shall be criminally punished. Cases, during the reporting period, where state officials were convicted and sentenced by the court, as a result of committing torture, are reflected below in paragraph 17. In addition, the perpetrator shall bear civil responsibility towards the injured person and may, if applicable, be sanctioned and disciplined. More details are discussed in paragraph 18. Furthermore, an innovative measure has been adopted in the 2017 Constitution. Section 25, paragraph 3, guarantees that any person whose rights are enshrined in the Constitution, including the right not to be tortured,2 can directly invoke the provisions of the Constitution to exercise his or her right to bring a lawsuit or to defend him or herself in Court, if those rights are violated, notwithstanding the absence of the concerned statute. 6. The Government has been committed to introducing legislation which defines and criminalizes “torture” and “enforced disappearance” in the domestic legal system in accordance with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED). The MOJ proposed the draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act which was approved by the Cabinet on 27 December 2016. The draft Act was endorsed by the Parliament’s Special Committee for the deliberation of the draft Act on 4 March 2019 to be considered and finalised by the National Legislative Assembly. However, all legislative processes were suspended from 15 March 2019 due to the general elections on 24 March 2019 and were to resume upon the new Government’s decision. On 23 April 2020, the draft was re-submitted to the new Government for consideration. 7. Some key features of the draft Act, as it stands after the consideration of the Parliament’s Special Committee, are as follows: 1 CAT/C/THA/1. 2 The 2017 Constitution, s.28 para 4. 3 (a) Torture is defined as “any act done in order to inflict severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, on another person” for one of the following purposes: (i) To obtain information or a confession from him/her or a third person; or (ii) To punish him/her for an act that he or she or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed; or (iii) To intimidate or coerce him/her or a third person.”3 (b) Enforced disappearance is defined as “an arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty conducted by a state official whereby that state official refuses to acknowledge the said act or conceals the fate or whereabouts of the person who has disappeared;”4 (c) Both torture and enforced disappearance are each a specific crime punishable by one to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of THB twenty thousand to THB two hundred thousand.5 If there is an aggravating consequence or an aggravating fact, the punishment will be heavier as follows: (i) Aggravating consequence: • Grievous bodily harm:6 punishable by five to fifteen years’ imprisonment and a fine of THB one hundred to THB three hundred thousand;7 • Death: punishable by ten to twenty years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment and a fine of THB two hundred to THB four hundred thousand.8 (ii) Aggravating fact: If the crime is inflicted on a person under 18 years of age, a pregnant woman, a person with a disability, whether physical or mental, or a dependent, the perpetrator’s punishment shall be increased by half.9 (d) Mitigation: In the case of enforced disappearance, the perpetrator may be given a lesser sentence (not less than a half): (i) if the perpetrator arranges for the person who has disappeared to be found so long as that person has not suffered grievous bodily harm or does not face imminent or fatal threats or danger to his/her life; or (ii) if the perpetrator provides the state with information that is critical to the investigation.10 (e) Conspiracy: The draft Act states that whoever conspires to commit either one of the offences shall be liable to one-third of the punishment provided for the respective offence;11 (f) Attempts: Every participator shall be liable to two-thirds of the offence; (g) Accessory: If torture or enforced disappearance is committed, every participant shall be liable as if they were the principal person committing the act;12 3 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s. 3 in conjunction with s.5. 4 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s. 3 in conjunction with s.6. 5 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.26 para 1 and s.27 para 1. 6 As defined by the Penal Code, s.297. Please refer to CAT/C/THA/1 para 37. 7 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.26 para 2 and s.27 para 2. 8 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.26 para 3 and s.27 para 3. 9 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.28. 10 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.31. 11 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.29 para 1. 12 The draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, s.29 para 2. 4 (h) Universal jurisdiction: Subject to the principle of double jeopardy, the draft Act establishes universal jurisdiction for both offences;13 (i) Extradition and the international cooperation on criminal matters: Both offences shall not be regarded as a political offence;14 (j) Superior responsibility: For enforced disappearance, if a subordinate commits an act of enforced disappearance, the superior officer may be convicted of a crime of enforced disappearance (punishable by half of the penalty stated in paragraph 7 (3)): (iii) If he/she is aware that his/her subordinate is about to commit an act of enforced disappearance and he/she does not prevent it from happening; or (iv) If he/she is aware that his/her subordinate has already committed an act of enforced disappearance and he/she does not put him under investigation.15 (k) Unlike the ICPPED, the Convention does not require State Parties to introduce an offence of superior responsibility, the offence is limited only to an act of enforced disappearance. However, such a superior official can be found guilty of either being an inciter, a joint-principal, or an aider; (l) Statute of limitations: Despite recalling paragraph 40 of the Committee’s general comment No. 3 on the implementation of article 14 by States parties, Thailand continues to hold that it is not necessary to make either one of the offences an imprescriptible offence. The period of time for the statute of limitations for both offences will be subject to punishable rates attached to each offence laid down in section 95 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with the Procedures for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Act B.E 2559 (2016) which defines that if a person absconds during the proceedings, that period of time during which the escape is in progress will not be included in the computation of the period of prescription.