Mystery remains over disappeared Thai lawyer

Ron Corben, Bangkok

Last Updated: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:57:00 +1100

After almost six years, the family of Thai human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaichit is still waiting for answers over his disappearance.

Somchai Neelapaichit, a Muslim human rights lawyer disappeared in March 2004 just a few weeks after he had claimed police had tortured five suspects in the theft of guns from an Army base in Narathiwat in January 2004.

On March 12, Mr Neelapaichit disappeared, last seen being bundled into car by several men.

Somchai Homla-or, another human rights lawyer and close friend of Mr Neelapaichit, says the suspected killing was directly linked to charges he had raised of police use of torture.

While five police officers were later detained they have so far faced only minor charges.

A year ago, in January 2009, Angkhana Neelapaichit, wife of Mr Neelapaichit, made a public plea to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

But a year after Mr Abhisit's promise to help move the case forward, Mrs Neelapaichit says she is still waiting to see progress.

"When Abhisit became prime minister and I went to have a meeting with him and I asked him about the Somchai case because I know he always talk about the many cases of human rights abuses in Thailand and Somchai is one of the cases," she said.

"But one year has already passed and I didn't see anything progress."

Four Thai prime ministers going back to Thaksin Shinawatra have all acknowledged that police and government officials were involved in Mr Neelapaichit's abduction.

He is believed to have been murdered, althougth his body has never been recovered.

Sunai Pasuk, representative for Human Rights Watch, says while Prime Minister Abhisit has good intentions, the Thai Police Force remain powerful, thwarting progress in the investigation.

"I believe Abhisit was genuine ad sincere when he first raised his intention to address issues about state sponsored abuses and impunity," he said.

"But the reality in Thailand is that Prime Minister Abhisit couldn't translate his intention into policy. The investigation on the war on drugs, the investigation on the disappearance of Somchai Neelapaichit and the other Muslims from Southern Thailand, they have received no cooperation whatsoever from the Royal Thai Police."

Mr Neelapaichit's case is being handled by Justice Ministry's Department of Special Investigations.

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