EU may tie Thailand’s OECD talks to human rights issues : Natthaphong

The European Union (EU), upset with Thailand’s deportation of Uyghurs to China, may not only leverage free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Thailand but also other frameworks that require respect for human rights, People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said today.

They may put pressure on Thailand’s bid to access the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as both the FTA and the OECD require their members to adhere to international human rights principles, he said.

Natthaphong was responding to the European parliament’s resolution, passed on Thursday, which condemned Thailand’s controversial repatriation of Uyghur detainees in late February.

The resolution also urged Thailand to halt any further forced returns to countries where people's lives are at risk.

The European Commission has also been called upon to leverage FTA negotiations to pressure Thailand to reform its lèse majesté law and release political prisoners.

“That reflects Thailand’s failure to comply with basic human rights principles,” Natthaphong said.

Meanwhile, Pisan Manawapat, former Thai ambassador to the EU, said the resolution was not uncommon, as the European parliament takes the opportunity to condemn Thailand when it believes the country has not respected human rights principles.

He argued that, if the Thai government had delayed the deportation of the Uyghurs by another six months or a year, negotiations on the FTA with the EU might not have come under pressure.

He recommended that representatives of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand be invited to join Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai’s trip to China’s Xinjiang region, scheduled for next Tuesday, to inspect the well-being of the deported Uyghurs.

That, he said, would enhance credibility, not only for China but also for Thailand, in the eyes of the international community.