Military

DATE=05/28/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=THAILAND / UN REACT (L-O)

NUMBER=2-303718

BYLINE=RON CORBEN

DATELINE=BANGKOK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Thailand's prime minister says a U-N envoy's criticism of his country's human-rights record is unjustified. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, the Thai government is especially sensitive to criticism because of its recent crackdown on drug dealers.

TEXT: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says U-N human-rights envoy Hina Jilani was biased and made unfair remarks in her assessment of Thailand's human-rights record.

Mrs. Jilani, a lawyer from Pakistan, has just completed a nine-day visit to Thailand, meeting with human-rights activists and government officials.

She described a growing sense of insecurity among human-rights workers and non-governmental organizations since Mr. Thaksin's government came to power in early 2001. Among other issues, she pointed out that the government is prosecuting many activist groups for holding protests and pressuring some human-rights organizations to close their offices.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow says her comments are out of step.

/// ACT SIHASAK PHUANGKETKEOW ///

We think this does not really reflect the situation here. We believe that N-G-O's (non-government organizations) are still operating very freely in Thailand and the right of protest is very much respected in Thailand.

/// END ACT ///

Mrs. Jilani also raised concerns over Thailand's recent crackdown on drugs, which left more than two-thousand people dead. The government says most of the victims were killed by rival drug gangs trying to silence potential informers.

Human-rights groups and Thai news media have accused the government of sanctioning a policy of extra-judicial killings.

Mr. Thaksin says the U-N envoy should assess Thailand's rights record against the performance of other United Nations members. The government, he said, would bow to no one. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/RC/KPD/RAE