UDD (United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship)

Imperial Plaza,
Bangkok, Thailand

June 20,2010

Human Rights Council and Treaties Division Complaints Procedure OHCRHR-UNOG

Submit the complaint of UDD on the violation of Human Rights by the Government of Thailand.

I am Mr,Jaran Ditapichai, a former national human rights commissioner ,on behalf of the United
Front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD) or the “ red shirts movement” would like to
complain that the government of Thailand committed the serious violation of human rights of the
people since March 9 ,2010 to the present.It vilolated the freedom of movement , of assembly ,of
expression ,of media , the rigth to life and physical body.

These violation of human rights occurred during the UDD‘s demonstration since March 12th – May
19th, 2010, for demanding the dissolution of the parliament. UDD ‘rallies the red shirts people
complied to the Constitution 2007 article 63 and the International Covenants on Civil and Political
Rights 1966 article 21. UDD adopted a peaceful. The red shirts all over the country began
flowing on March 12 into Bangkok by various cars.

The government of Thailand by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva imposed on 9 March the Internal
Security Act from 11–23 March. A 50,000-strong security force was deployed on Bangkok. He set
up the government/military situation room for monitoring the protest, officially called the Peace-
keeping Operations Command, was established at the 11th Infantry Regiment. Police and military
checkpoints set up along all main routes to inspect protester caravans from entering Bangkok,
especially from coming from UDD strongholds in the North and North-East, Government
intimidated the red shirts by declare to detain any protester with weapons and issued a warning
that bus companies transporting people to Bangkok with out official permission could have their
concessions revoked. These were the violation of freedom of movement and freedom of
assembly.

While the biggest demonstration with almost 500,000 persons, the largest rally in Thai history
took place on March 14 on the Rajadamneun Street. After the talk between the leaders of UDD
and Prime minister and his colleagues televised on March 28-29 failed and UDD moved partly to
rally at the Rajaprasong intersection (commercial center). Prime Minister Abhisit declared a state
of emergency on April 8 and began to limit the freedom of expression and freedom of media by
sending the troops to barricade the uplink station for the Thaicom satellite to prevent it from airing
People Channel, a popular TV station sympathetic to the UDD.

On 10 April, the government troops began to crackdown the demonstration at Phan Fah Bridge
site .Twenty-one people were killed ( almost all of them shot by sniper), with more than 800
people injured. Because of in that bloody event there were unindentified men in “black shirt” fired
at the soldiers that killed and injured the high commander and soldiers. Consequently the
government began to accuse the red shirts as “terrorist”.

Tensions continued to grow, as pro-government rallies started to appear alongside the anti-
government ones. In the mid of April the protesters created an encampment in Rajaprasong
intersection, surrounding themselves by a barricade of tires and bamboo spears. On 28 April,
Thai security forces and anti-government protesters clashed on the outskirts of Bangkok, with
troops firing both over and then directly into a crowd of Red Shirts to keep them from expanding
their demonstrations. At least 16 protesters were wounded and one soldier was killed.

The talk between the leaders of UDD.and representative of the government still continued and
Priminister Abhisit offered the earlier new general elections on November 14.UDD accepted his
national reconciliation plan.

But since the of May 13 the dissident general Khattiya Sawasdiphol was shot (died a few days
later) includingt 3 red shirts .Then the soldiers were aproaching the demonstration.They used the
sniper guns to shoot the protesters who tried to obstruct their operation. There were 37 deaths
and more than 200 injured.

On May 19, the military raided the protestors’ barricaded area with the heavily fortified protest
camp. Armored tanks rammed into barriers constructed from sharpened bamboo staves and
kerosene-soaked tires. The soldiers stormed the redshirt encampment in a bloody crackdown, 9
people killed. 5 leaders of UDD surrendered themselves to prevent the massacre. Instead, the
angry crowd dispersed throughout Bangkok, setting fire to and looting dozens of buildings,
including major malls, banks, and the Thai stock exchange. The violent protests flared up across
the city and the country.

After the crackdown, the government declared cur-few in 22 provinces for 6 days and still keeps
the Emergency decree. Police arrested 400 red shirt leaders on over the country.The criminal
court did not release 8 leaders of UDD who surrendered on May 19-20 .The government
closed the red shirts medias , freezed the bank accounts of 150 persons. The serious violation
of human rights widespread over the country. Thai political regime is more or less aristocratic
dictatorship not democratic one.

In conclusion, the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva has violated human rights of red shirts and
people of Thailand as below

• Limit the freedom of the movement of the red shirts coming to the demonstration in the
capital by building up more than 300 checkpoints, intimidating the red shirts and warning
the bus companies not to transport them to Bangkok.
• Implemention of the Internal Security Act and declaring the Emergency decree to limit the
freedom of expression and assembly of the red shirts people.
• Deployed almost 50,000 soldiers and polices to control the demonstration.
• Closing 1 television, 20 community radios, 5 journals and magazines, and 36 internet
Medias.
• Freezing bank accounts of 150 persons
• Crackdown the demonstration caused 86 deaths and almost 2,000 injured.
• Issue the arrest warrants for leaders of UDD by charging them the terrorists and arrested
400 red shirts leaders and demonstrators.
• Assassination of 3 red shirt guards last june.

I demand Human Rights council to investigate urgently these violations of human rights in
Thailand to remedy the victimes and to stop the national wide of violation of human rights by the
government of Thailand. The more detail and evidences of the cases I will submit to the
Complaint Division later. Hopefully the Human Rights Council accepts our complaints.

Respectively

Jaran Ditapichai

Contact: jarangreat@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Ditapichai , this is to confirm that the Secretariat of the Complaint Procedure has
received your complaint dated 23 June 2010. You will informed in due course whether the
communication could be registered by the Working Group on Communications.

Yours sincerely, the CP Secretariat