Angkhana Neelaphaijit
Encyclopedia
Angkhana Neelaphaijit is a Thai
human rights activist and the wife of disappeared
human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit. Amnesty International
described her as "a leading human rights defender in Southern Thailand".
. In 2003, four Thai Muslims--Waemahadi Wae-dao, a doctor; Maisuru Haji Abdulloh, a school owner; his son, Muyahid; and a manual labourer, Samarn Wae-kaji--were arrested and charged with planning bombings for the militant Islamic organization Jemaah Islamiyah
. Angkhana's husband Somchai was responsible for their defense, and accused state security forces of having abused and tortured the men in custody. According to Angkhana, he subsequently reported harassment and threats by police. On 24 March 2004, a group of men seized Somchai as he left a hotel in a Bangkok suburb, forcing him into a vehicle; his current whereabouts are unknown.
, in which she stated, "We do not see any genuine goodwill from the authorities."
In 2006, Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
stated that Somchai Neelaphaijit was dead and may have been killed by state security forces. On 12 January 2006, one policeman was jailed for having "illegally detained" Somchai, but four others were acquitted. Angkhana and several international human rights groups "denounced the verdict."
On 2 August 2009, bone fragments were located in the Mae Klong
river believed to belong to Somchai. In September 2010, more than six years after her husband's disappearance, Angkhana told reporters, "I haven't given up my attempts to call for justice for my husband... No matter which party controls the government, I ask it to help investigate the case."
On 17 March 2011, after several delays, a Thai appeals court acquitted Ngern Thongsuk, the only convicted defendant in the case, saying that it had not been conclusively determined whether Somchai had died. Following the verdict, Angkhana told reporters she "would continue to fight for justice and take the case to the Supreme Court." The Asian Human Rights Commission
condemned the verdict and renewed calls for police to investigate continued threats against Angkhana and her family.
report that her safety continues to be threatened, and in 2009, her car was robbed of documents relating to one of her cases.
In 2006, Angkhana, along with Malalai Joya
of Afghanistan, won the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
, which honors "individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work". The award cited her "unrelenting" efforts for justice and "unsparing" criticism of government authorities. On 11 March of the same year, she received the Asian Human Rights Defender Award of the Asian Human Rights Commission
on her husband's behalf; the award's press release also praised her "role as an articulate and courageous spokesperson for the families of disappeared persons in Thailand".
In 2011, Josefina Bergsten's documentary "UNJUST", which prominently features Angkhana's story, was given a Special Jury Award at the Hague's Movies that Matter Festival.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
human rights activist and the wife of disappeared
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
described her as "a leading human rights defender in Southern Thailand".
Husband's disappearance
In the early 2000s, Southern Thailand suffered a wave of unrest, including an ethnic separatist insurgencySouth Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
. In 2003, four Thai Muslims--Waemahadi Wae-dao, a doctor; Maisuru Haji Abdulloh, a school owner; his son, Muyahid; and a manual labourer, Samarn Wae-kaji--were arrested and charged with planning bombings for the militant Islamic organization Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
. Angkhana's husband Somchai was responsible for their defense, and accused state security forces of having abused and tortured the men in custody. According to Angkhana, he subsequently reported harassment and threats by police. On 24 March 2004, a group of men seized Somchai as he left a hotel in a Bangkok suburb, forcing him into a vehicle; his current whereabouts are unknown.
Investigation and trial
Angkhana pursued a court case against the officers she alleged to responsible for her husband's disappearance, but was frustrated at what she perceived to be a government cover-up. Police officials refused to share relevant records with her, citing national security, leading the New York Times to describe the truth as "hidden behind a wall of official obscurity." Angkhana also reported a police harassment and anonymous threats, recalling those allegedly sent to her husband before his disappearance. She eventually filed a complaint with the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, in which she stated, "We do not see any genuine goodwill from the authorities."
In 2006, Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
stated that Somchai Neelaphaijit was dead and may have been killed by state security forces. On 12 January 2006, one policeman was jailed for having "illegally detained" Somchai, but four others were acquitted. Angkhana and several international human rights groups "denounced the verdict."
On 2 August 2009, bone fragments were located in the Mae Klong
Mae Klong
The Mae Klong is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi or Khwae Sai Yok and the Khwae Yai River or Khwae Si Sawat in Kanchanaburi, pass Ratchaburi Province and empties into the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Songkhram....
river believed to belong to Somchai. In September 2010, more than six years after her husband's disappearance, Angkhana told reporters, "I haven't given up my attempts to call for justice for my husband... No matter which party controls the government, I ask it to help investigate the case."
On 17 March 2011, after several delays, a Thai appeals court acquitted Ngern Thongsuk, the only convicted defendant in the case, saying that it had not been conclusively determined whether Somchai had died. Following the verdict, Angkhana told reporters she "would continue to fight for justice and take the case to the Supreme Court." The Asian Human Rights Commission
Asian Human Rights Commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...
condemned the verdict and renewed calls for police to investigate continued threats against Angkhana and her family.
Ongoing work and recognition
Angkhana currently serves as the chairwoman of the Working Group for Justice and Peace, and continues to investigate allegations of police abuse in Southern Thailand. Amnesty International and Front LineFront Line (NGO)
Front Line or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect human rights defenders at risk, i.e...
report that her safety continues to be threatened, and in 2009, her car was robbed of documents relating to one of her cases.
In 2006, Angkhana, along with Malalai Joya
Malalai Joya
Malalai Joya is an activist, writer and a former politician from Afghanistan. She served as a Parliamentarian in the National Assembly of Afghanistan from 2005 until early 2007, after being dismissed for publicly denouncing the presence of what she considered to be warlords and war criminals in...
of Afghanistan, won the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is an award given by the South Korean May 18 Memorial Foundation to recognize "individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work." The award is intended to...
, which honors "individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work". The award cited her "unrelenting" efforts for justice and "unsparing" criticism of government authorities. On 11 March of the same year, she received the Asian Human Rights Defender Award of the Asian Human Rights Commission
Asian Human Rights Commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...
on her husband's behalf; the award's press release also praised her "role as an articulate and courageous spokesperson for the families of disappeared persons in Thailand".
In 2011, Josefina Bergsten's documentary "UNJUST", which prominently features Angkhana's story, was given a Special Jury Award at the Hague's Movies that Matter Festival.