TLHR
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) is a Thai organisation working to raise awareness about human rights violations and provide free legal support to people whose rights have been violated. The collective was formed immediately after coup d'état in Thailand, in May 2014. The organisation runs a 24-hour hotline and uses the information gathered to disseminate public awareness and advice for those summoned or arrested. TLHR also provides free litigation and legal assistance for vulnerable people whose rights have been affected by martial law and who do not have legal representatives.
Human rights defenders in Thailand face threats, physical assaults, arbitrary detention, judicial harassment, and extrajudicial killings. HRDs most at risk include those working with migrants, particularly along the border with Burma, those who are fighting for economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights, and those working in the conflict zone of the three border provinces in Southern Thailand. The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand has documented 35 cases of extrajudicial killings of human rights defenders between 2003 – 2012, approximately 30 of whom were HRDs working on ESC rights. Many of these cases have not been properly investigated by the authorities.
