Cambodian authorities failed to conduct a proper investigation of the disappearance of Thai dissident Wanchalearm Satsaksit who was last seen in Phnom Penh one year ago, an international rights watchdog said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2021) Cambodian authorities failed to conduct a proper investigation of the disappearance of Thai dissident Wanchalearm Satsaksit who was last seen in Phnom Penh one year ago, an international rights watchdog said on Friday.
Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a Thai human rights activist who was in political exile in Cambodia, was reported abducted on 4 June 2020. Cambodian police initially refused to probe the incident and claimed to know nothing of it, dismissing it as fake news. The investigation started only in September 2020.
Amnesty International calls on Cambodian authorities to accelerate the pace of the investigation, while raising serious concerns about its thoroughness, independence, and relevancy.
"The persistent failure of the Cambodian authorities to properly investigate Wanchalearm's enforced disappearance is in clear violation of Cambodia's international human rights obligations," Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns Ming Yu Hah said.
Given Cambodia's poor investigative progress, the Amnesty International will send an open letter to Thai authotities on June 4, stressing Cambodia's failures and calling for an immediate launch of a formal investigation with the Department of Special Investigation, as well as the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.
"Given the blatant inadequacies of the Cambodian investigation, it is high time for the Thai authorities to step up and undertake a thorough, impartial, and independent investigation into the enforced disappearance of their own citizen abroad," Ming Yu Hah said.
In addition, Amnesty International believes that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) should contribute to investigations related to enforced disappearances, taking a more active role in facilitating cooperation among different ASEAN member states.
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom that specializes in human rights protection. Regarding the relevance of this type of cases in the region, Amnesty International has repeatedly urged the AICHR to exercise its mandate and obtain information from ASEAN countries, shedding light on enforced disappearances' investigations.
