UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - THAILAND SEEKS U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 002548

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM KUNR TH UNHRC UN
SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - THAILAND SEEKS U.S.
SUPPORT

REF: A. A. STATE 66050


B. B. BANGKOK.2420

C. C. STATE 60967

Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton by reasons 1.4 (b) (
d)


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 5.


2. (C) SUMMARY. On April 28, POLOFF delivered demarche
(reftel A) to the Thai MFA regarding Iran's candidacy for
the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The MFA confirmed
Thailand's own candidacy within the Asia Group for a UNHRC
seat presented their "Voluntary Commitments." Thailand is
concerned over their chances of being elected because most
countries have already committed to an "exchange of votes"
and their own lack of "natural constituencies." Thailand
is seeking active U.S. support for their candidacy.
Regarding Iran's candidacy, Thailand feels uncomfortable
criticizing their competitors for concerns that may reflect
negatively on it own candidacy. FM Kantathi Suphamongkhon
is requesting a call with the Secretary to discuss Thai
candidacy for the UNHRC. End Summary.

MFA CONFIRMS THAILAND'S CANDIDACY TO THE UNHRC
-------------- -


3. (SBU) POLOFF met with Ms. Phantipha Iamsudha,
Counselor of the Social Division of the Department of
International Organization at the MFA regarding the
upcoming UNHRC elections. Phantipha confirmed that
Thailand has decided to run for a seat (reftel B),and
presented Thailand's "Voluntary Commitments" (see text
below). Thailand believes that they hold a good human
rights record (including being State Party of five of the
seven core international human rights instruments) relative
to other nations in the Asia Group, and that their "unique
geo-strategic" position give them credibility to "both
sides - the U.S. and the developing countries." Phantipha
explained that Thailand is interested in a seat to the
UNHRC because membership would deepen their own domestic
commitments to respecting human rights.


4. (C) Phantipha stated that despite wide support
expressed by many countries and NGOs, Thailand was
concerned that most nations had already committed an
"exchange of votes." Furthermore, Thailand lacks the
advantage of "natural constituencies" that candidate
countries in OIC, the Commonwealth or "Francophones"
enjoy. Therefore, Thailand hopes that the U.S. can
actively lobby and encourage other nations to support
Thailand's candidacy to the UNHRC.

ACTION REQUEST: CALL WITH THE SECRETARY
--------------


5. (SBU) The MFA has requested a call between FM Kantathi
Suphamongkhon and Secretary Rice to discuss Thailand's
candidacy. Kantathi would like to personally advise the
Secretary that Thailand seeks a seat on the new UNHRC and

SIPDIS
wishes U.S. support. MFA hopes the call can be arranged
early next week.

RELUCTANCE TO TAKE POSITION ON IRAN
--------------


6. (C) When POLOFF presented reftel A request, Phantipha
explained since Iran is also a candidate in the Asia Group
for a seat on the HRC, Thailand feels "uncomfortable to
criticize Iran" in light of their own candidacy. They
believe that their criticisms would be viewed as
self-serving, and suggested that perhaps the U.S. would
have more credibility to make a case against Iran.
Phantipha explained that Thailand has yet to commit to any
candidate but is looking at the overall picture of
candidate nations from each region before making their
final decision. However, Thailand holds that selection
criterion should reflect the candidate country's own human
rights conditions domestically, as well as the country's
legal commitment and implementation of human rights
instruments.

(SBU) BEGIN TEXT:

Thailand's Voluntary Commitments
--------------

Thailand is firmly committed to the respect for human
dignity, justice, compassion, non-discrimination and a
sense of mutual obligations to fellow human beings, which
together constitute core human rights principles. On
December 10, 1948, Thailand joined the other 47 Member
States of the United Nations in voting to adopt the draft
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then,
Thailand has gradually accepted international legal
obligations concerning human rights. Thailand is, at
present, a State Party to 5 out of the 7 core international
human rights instruments. They are the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR),the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC),the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),and the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
(CERD). Thailand is also a State Party to the Optional
Protocol to CEDAW, thereby accepting individual complaints
regarding alleged violations of the CEDAW. Most recently,
in January and February 2006, Thailand became a State Party
to the 2 Optional Protocols to the CRC on the sale of
children, child prostitution and child pornography and on
the involvement of children in armed conflict,
respectively.

Furthermore, Thailand is a State Party to 5 out of the 8
core conventions under the International Labour
Organization pertaining to forced labour and its abolition
(Conventions no. 29 and 105),equal remuneration between
men and women for work of equal value (Convention no. 100),
minimum age for employment (Convention no. 138),and the
prohibition and elimination of worst forms of child labour
(Convention no. 182). Thailand is also a State Party to
the four Geneva Conventions on international humanitarian
law of 1949.

Thailand's aforementioned legal obligations are given
effect to under Thai law. In particular, Thailand's
present Constitution of 1997 guarantees civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights and fundamental
freedoms for all, in line with its international legal
obligations. Various mechanisms have also been set up
under the present Constitution to advance the cause of
human rights within the country. They are the National
Human Rights Commission, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the
Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court.

Moreover, Thailand attaches great importance to the
preparation and presentation of its reports to the relevant
treaty bodies. In July 2005, Thailand submitted its ICCPR
initial report to the Human Rights Committee, and in
January 2006, submitted its periodic reports to the CEDAW
and CRC Committees. Due regard is given to the
observations and recommendations made by these treaty
bodies.

At the regional level, Thailand fully supports initiatives
to enhance dialogue and cooperation among countries within
the region, such as the annual Canada-China-Norway
Symposium on Human Rights. Initiatives to discuss the
possibility of establishing human rights mechanisms at the
regional and sub-regional level is also very much
encouraged by Thailand.

Over the years, Thailand has played host to several
regional and sub-regional meetings and workshops on human
rights, in cooperation with the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR). For
example, in 2001, Thailand hosted the Ninth Asia-Pacific
Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights. In 2004, Thailand hosted the
Inter-Sessional Workshop on National Human Rights Plan of
Action and Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific
Region and the Sub-Regional Workshop on the Implementation
of the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the
Rights of the Child.

Thailand recognizes a strong linkage between human rights
and human security. Thailand is a Member of the Human
Security Network (HSN) which is a group of 14 like-minded
countries from all parts of the world working together to
guarantee freedom from fear, freedom from want and human
dignity for all. Activities in the area of human rights
under HSN are such as the promotion of human rights
education, the protection of and assistance to children
affected by armed conflicts and the promotion of the
implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on
Women, Peace and Security. Thailand sees the HRC as a
turning point in the promotion and protection of human
rights and looks forward to contributing to the work of the
HRC, especially in its formative first session.

in light of its candidature of election to the Human Rights
Council and in accordance with paragraph 8 of resolution
60/251, Thailand pledges voluntary commitments as follows:

Promotion and protection of human rights at the
international level
-------------- --------------
--------------

Thailand will fully cooperate with the Human Rights Council
in all of its endeavours to further the cause of human
rights worldwide through constructive dialogue and
cooperation.

Thailand will continue to support efforts to mainstream
human rights within the United Nations system.

Thailand reaffirms its belief that all human rights are
indivisible, interdependent and interrelated and will
continue to promote and protect all human rights, be they
civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and
the right to development on an equal footing.

Thailand will continue to support the work of various
United Nations agencies and funds dealing with human rights
matters such as the OHCHR, UNHCR, UNIFEM, INSTRAW and
UNICEF, through, inter alia, financial contribution on a
regular basis.

Thailand will continue to support the work of National
Human Rights Institutions for the promotion and protection
of human rights, through, inter alia, regular financial
contribution to relevant agencies such as the Asia-Pacific
Forum of National Human Rights Institutions.

Promotion and protection of human rights at the national
level
-------------- --------------

Thailand will continue to mainstream human rights in all of
its work at the national level.

Thailand will continue to promote human rights education at
all level as a tool to prevent human rights violations.

Thailand will cooperate with the United Nations treaty
monitoring bodies by implementing, to the best of its
capacity, their concluding observations and recommendations
in regard to Thailand.

Thailand is considering becoming party to the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment.

Thailand is in the process of taking steps under its
constitution so as to become party to the United Nations
Conventions on Transitional Organized Crimes, the Protocol
to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
especially Women and Children, and the Protocol Against
Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.

Thailand is taking steps to become party to the 1977
Additional Protocol I to the four Geneva Conventions on
international humanitarian law of 1949.

As a country that has played an active role in the United
Nations Reform process, especially the reform of the United
Nations human rights mechanisms, it is Thailand's
aspiration to have an opportunity to participate in the
first session of the Human Rights Council as one of its
members. Thailand has a high expectation of the work of
the newly established Human Rights Council and will do its
utmost to ensure that the Council becomes a main forum for
constructive dialogue and cooperation on issues concerning
human rights.

END TEXT.

BOYCE
BOYCE