Association Des Démocrates Thaïlandais Sans Frontières
29 Rue de Belleville 75019 Paris France 528 Hart Senate Office building Washington DC 20510
January 26, 2021
The Honorable Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee (Senator Robert Menendez)
On the occasion of your Chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee I, Jaran Ditapichai, president of the Thai Democrats Association without Borders would like to congratulate to you and wish you all success.
Honorable Chair Thailand is not yet democratic. It is still ruled by the authoritarian government of General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, under an erratic king, Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), who has amassed the powers of an absolute monarch . This regime continues to violate the human rights of the Thai people and to thwart the people's will to restore true democracy.
On December 3 of last year you and Senator Dick Durbin and your seven colleges introduced a Senate Resolution to underscore the United States’ commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Thailand. And you might know that since the beginning of the student-people struggle for democracy, the government has sought to limit freedom of assembly, dispersing peaceful protests by water canons with irritant chemicals and tear gas, and by arresting and charging a hundred leaders of the pro-democracy movement with the crime of sedition, and 55 persons of the lèse - majesté under article 112 of the Criminal code including the secondary school students.
As the people's struggle for democracy and reform of the monarchy goes on, many political observers fear it will end in the violent suppression of protests, possibly following a coup d’état, instigated by the government or the king. The student protesters' calls for reform of the monarchy, a previously unspeakable taboo, have changed political discourse in Thailand forever. At the same time, the threat of a violent crackdown is all the greater. The Thai government cannot, however, ignore the international community, especially the United States, which has been a key ally and supporter for decades. Given the power that international attention and pressure can bring to effect a more positive outcome and promote democracy. Thai people is waiting for a such resolution.
During the last several years I have some contacts with the Foreign Relations Committee I would be pleased to have the opportunity to provide you further information and I thank you very much.
Most respectfully,
Jaran Ditapichai
President
Association Des Démocrates Thaïlandais Sans Frontières
