Thread: Report urges changes in witness protection

The government needs to strengthen the country’s laws and institutions to ensure that control over witness protection programmes is removed from the police, the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) said in the first in a series of reports on human rights obstacles in Thailand.

“Although the Witness Protection Office has been set up under the Justice Ministry, the police have de facto control of witness protection in Thailand,” Basil Fernando, executive director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights group, said.

“As the police in Thailand are the main perpetrators of human rights abuses, giving them effective control of witness protection totally defeats its purpose.

“It is perverse to expect someone who is seeking protection from police to also be protected by them. There needs to be an alternative.”

The 80-page report released yesterday calls on the government to strengthen existing laws and institutions and promote increased involvement of medical and legal professionals in witness protection procedures.

“There needs to be much greater discussion on witness protection among lawyers, judges, human rights defenders, victims, government officials, journalists and other concerned persons in Thailand,” Fernando said.

“These are not new issues, and it is about time that they received the attention that they deserve.”

Fernando also called on the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the National Human Rights Commission to pay more serious attention to the issues raised in the study.
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Originally Posted by stroller

“As the police in Thailand are the main perpetrators of human rights abuses, giving them effective control of witness protection totally defeats its purpose.

Not exactly rocket science, is it? TIT........