June 08, 2022

Thailand threatens to silence dissenting non-profits

topic:	Freedom of Expression
located:	Thailand
editor:	Sasha Kong

Thailand’s legislation has long been controversial for its infamous royal anti-defamation law that seeks to silence any speech or action against the monarchy. The outbreak of pro-democracy protests in 2020 witnessed the extensive use of this law against activists, and now authorities are possibly moving to squelch further dissent with a drafted regulation against the country’s non-profit organisations (NPOs). 

The contentious bill, approved by Thailand’s cabinet in January this year, has prompted protests for months as critics fear its violation of civil liberties. The draft law, if passed, will ban the operation of NPOs that “affect public order, people’s good morals, or cause divisions within society” or “act to…affect the happy, normal existence of other persons.” 

NPOs, in an open letter to US president Joe Biden, call the language “very vague” and worry that “almost any action could qualify as violating the law’s provision” in an open letter. The draft law will also require NPOs to reveal their sources of funding and go through a vetting process before registration, alarming over 2,000 NPOs in Thailand. Experts say this is a common method used by repressive governments to distract from their own human rights records. 

Thai officials have responded to concerns by denying that the law would ban public gatherings. But the UN raised concerns a year ago, asserting that authorities “insufficiently acknowledge the expertise and support provided by these organisations, and even consider them as potential threats to society.”

Earlier this year, over a million royal supporters in Thailand petitioned the government to shut down Amnesty International’s Thai office, calling it a “threat” to the country’s peace and security after the NPO slammed a court ruling in which the judges contended that calls for reformations of the monarchy are illegal. 

Thailand has seen an increasingly hardliner approach against opposition voices, which might cost the country more than just political turmoil. Greenpeace Thailand and several green NPOs were among those who signed the open letter to Biden, suggesting that even environmental NPOs could be at risk for raising environmental issues. 

In March this year, a group of NPOs, including Greenpeace Thailand and Environmental Law Foundation, sued the Thai government for failing to protect its citizens against air pollution. If NPOs are forced to leave Thailand due to the law, climate litigation and campaigns will inevitably dwindle. The Southeast Asian nation pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by one-fifth before 2030. Without NPOs keeping authorities in check and raising environmental awareness alongside the government’s green policies, Thailand could have much progress to lose.

Photo by Alejandro Cartagena

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