Justice system tops NHRC complaints

Alleged violations of people’s rights in the judicial process were the most common form of complaints lodged with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last year.

Of a total of 571 complaints received by the NHRC in 2021, they made up 25.2% or about 144 cases, said Wasan Paileeklee, a member of the NHRC, yesterday.

These complaints included alleged assaults by security authorities while criminal suspects were in detention, he said, adding these complaints concerned the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Corrections and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).

“Complaints over alleged violations of people’s rights in the judicial process continue to make up the largest percentage of all complaints, as they have every year over the past several years,” he said.

The second most common type of complaint last year (18.2%, or about 104 cases) dealt with alleged violations of civil rights including the right to freely express political opinions at a political gathering, he said.

Another common complaint included those submitted by people required to undergo mandatory Covid-19 quarantine upon returning to Thailand from other countries and who thought their civil rights were violated, he said.

These complaints were filed against the national police, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the cabinet, he said.

The third most common complaint (6%, or 34 complaints) concerned rights over assets and properties including allegedly unfair financial compensation for land expropriation paid to land owners and conflicts between land owners and state agencies, he said.

The agencies were the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and various Ministry of Interior organisations, he said.

Mr Wasan said other complaints included alleged breaches of community rights; labour, child and education rights; and the rights of disabled people and the elderly.