After the Royal Thai Army took power in a May 2014 coup and declared martial law, the military authorities heavily restricted the exercise of basic human rights. The upcoming general elections—the first since the coup—offer an important opportunity for candidates and political parties to take stock of Thailand’s human rights deficits and make public commitments to reform. In this agenda, Amnesty International outlines nine key areas in which reform is needed. These include the rights to freedom from torture and enforced disappearance, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and the right to privacy in the design of cybersecurity measures. Stronger protections for refugees and people seeking asylum should also be established, and the death penalty should be abolished once and for all. Amnesty International calls on candidates and political parties to commit publicly to human rights. The new administration must take rapid, comprehensive steps to strengthen the protection of human rights in the country, and to comply meaningfully with its commitments under international law.
