Thai junta allows ‘culture of torture’ to flourish — Rights Group

BANGKOK: International human rights group Amnesty International yesterday accused Thailand’s military government of allowing a ‘culture of torture’ to flourish since the army seized power in a 2014 coup.

The military took power in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy after months of street protests against a populist government, saying it had to step in to prevent violence and restore order. It rejects accusations of rights violations and a government spokesman said yesterday investigations into allegations of torture had found no evidence of any such abuse.

Since the coup, dozens of government critics have been held in military detention, although the exact number has not been released.

Amnesty International said in a report it had documented 74 cases of alleged torture at the hands of soldiers and police, and post-coup decrees had allowed authorities to detain people incommunicado.

The group cited allegations of beatings, smothering with plastic bags, waterboarding and electric shocks on detainees by authorities.

“Empowered by laws of their own making, Thailand’s military rulers have allowed a culture of torture to flourish, where there is no accountability for the perpetrators and no justice for the victims,” said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International’s director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The government denied accusations of torture, said General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman in the Prime Minister’s Office. — Reuters