Amnesty International issued a statement on Thursday requesting the Thai government’s guarantee that the extension of the State of Emergency (SOE) will not violate human rights or freedom of speech, and only restrict them when necessary.
The statement came following the government’s decision to extend the SOE on Thursday.
The SOE currently restricts travel, peaceful assembly, privacy, and freedom of expression with punishment in both imprisonment and fines.
While the government reviews the measures needed to combat the spread of COVID-19, the non-profit organization calls for these restrictions to be proportional and necessary.
The government must cancel punishing citizens’ freedom of expression, the arbitrary detention of refugees and immigrants, and refrain from enforcing restrictive measures on those criticizing the state, according to their demands.
Although restricting and limiting the rights to freedom and peaceful assembly can be done when necessary to protect the health of the public, those who have been prosecuted for rallies that violate social distancing measures should not be punished by imprisonment, said Amnesty International.
They also request the protection of rights in marginalized communities as they are significantly more vulnerable during an epidemic.
Members of these communities face barriers ranging from the inability to effectively protect themselves from diseases, inaccessibility to information and adequate healthcare services.
They also lack the means to comply with various government policies and measures.