Thai cabinet delays law requiring police to videotape suspects’ interrogations

The Thai cabinet delayed implementation of a law requiring police to videotape interrogations of suspects in custody until Oct. 1, a spokeswoman for the prime minister said Tuesday.

Parliament passed the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act on Aug. 24, 2022, and announced it in the Royal Gazette on Oct. 25, 2022. It was scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 22.

Police officials in January sent a letter to the justice ministry requesting a delay. Released online, the letter cited budgetary concerns over the purchase of necessary camera equipment and the need for more time to train officers. It said police could not allocate 3.47 billion baht (U.S. $103 million) to purchase cameras.

The cabinet agreed.

“At the moment, there are still challenges that need to be overcome including the acquisition of 171,000 cameras for officers, 1,578 automobile-mounted cameras and over 6,000 cameras for the stations,” said Ratchada Thanadirek, deputy spokeswoman for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.

The Cross Cultural Foundation, along with human rights activists and civilians, gathered in front of the Government House on Tuesday to protest the delay.

Angkhana Neelapaijit, former national human rights commissioner, said she hoped there would not be any torture or forced disappearance cases while the act was on hold.

“It is quite regrettable that the police have demonstrated a lack of readiness. I believe that the police should act promptly in this situation if they are prepared to utilize the law, and I did not believe that the cabinet would have agreed to delay the enforcement,” Angkhana told BenarNews.

“As a result, we must question the government’s willingness to enforce this law. I’m hoping there won’t be another postponement.”

Sunai Phasuk, a Thai-based adviser for Human Rights Watch, questioned the government’s justification for the delay.

“Legal competence and recording equipment procurement should have been done according to international standards. Justifying your lack of readiness exposes your lack of preparation,” Sunai told BenarNews.

“Human Rights Watch fervently hopes that either the present administration or the one that succeeds it after the election would quickly change their stance on the matter and swiftly return to put this law into action.”

A Royal Thai police spokesman said no one is denying the need for this law.

“However, we want to be prepared since both police and the subject are liable for damages if it is used illegally,” Maj. Gen. Archayaon Kraithong told BenarNews. “We also don’t want to comment on this scenario on behalf of other agencies.”

Since 1980, at least 82 Thai nationals have suffered from enforced disappearance, including at least 31 since 2004 in the southern border provinces, according to the United Nations and the Cross Cultural Foundation.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported that at least 104 political refugees fled the country after the Prayuth-led military junta overthrew the democratic government of Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014.

A 2021 video released on social media helped drive efforts to pass the act. The video led to the convictions and life sentences of six police officers over the in-custody death of a drug suspect as a result of an interrogation where he was handcuffed and plastic bags were wrapped over his head.

The officers included former police Col. Thitisan Utthanaphon, nicknamed “Jo Ferrari” because of his fleet of expensive cars.