Pubdate: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand) Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39 AMNESTY TELLS GOVT TO ACT ON DEATH THREATS Amnesty International has called on Thailand to protect the country's top human rights official who claimed to have received death threats since reporting on the country's violent anti-drug campaign to the United Nations. Dr Pradit Charoenthaitawee, a national human rights commissioner, said he had received several telephoned death threats but vowed to continue doing his job. The London-based human rights group said in a statement yesterday that the Thai government "should do everything in its power to provide protection to Dr Pradit and his family'' and "should immediately initiate an investigation into these repeated death threats.'' Dr Pradit said he had been unfairly targeted for his effort to document the country's anti-drug campaign. "I am doing my job and will continue to do it, so those who have been harassing me by telephone and threatening my life should stop,'' he said. The Amnesty statement noted that members of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party have said they were considering a petition for Dr Pradit to be ousted as human rights commissioner. Those politicians said Dr Pradit had overstepped his bounds by complaining to the UN about the high death toll from the anti-drug campaign. His action has caused embarrassment for Thailand, they claimed. Amnesty welcomed Mr Thaksin's appointment last week of two government committees to look into drug-related killings, encouraging authorities to ensure prompt and independent inquiries. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens