It has happened again. the Thai police have forced the cancellation of a public forum by citing concerns over security, which is a broad and dubious term.
If anything, it's an unjustifiable reason.
This time the forum, "Will Myanmar's generals ever face justice for international crimes?", was scheduled to take place on Monday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT). It followed recommendations last month by a specially appointed UN human rights team that Myanmar military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.
The forum's scheduled speakers included Tun Khin, a prominent UK-based Rohingya activist; Kobsak Chutikul, a former Thai diplomat who was formerly secretary for an international advisory body on the Rakhine crisis; and Kingsley Abbott, a representative of the International Commission of Jurists, a rights advocacy group.
Myanmar's military or Tatmadaw have been accused of carrying out ethnic cleansing and other war crimes. Some 700,000 Rohingya fled across the border to Bangladesh after the army launched a counterinsurgency campaign in response to attacks by Rohingya militants in August last year. Myanmar's army, which for decades has been accused of violating the human rights of various ethnic minorities, denies having committed organised rights abuses.
Shortly before the forum opened, a dozen police officers turned up at the venue, and told the organisers to scrap the event which, they claimed, could "damage national security". The police also mentioned concerns that the event, if allowed to continue, might affect foreign relations and give a third party the opportunity to create unrest.
According to AP reports, Pol Col Thawatkiat Jindakuansanong told the organisers: "We are not asking. We are ordering you to cancel the event."
But the question is: How could a discussion of Myanmar put national security at risk? The claims regarding the effect on foreign relations have no grounds. There is no way that the presence of a retired foreign affairs official like Mr Kobsak, no matter how high profile he is, on the panel could affect foreign relations. The fears of "unrest" are laughable.
The FCCT, while expressing disappointment, announced the cancellation accordingly to avoid any problems.
Mr Abbott, a rights activist and scheduled panelist, is right in noting that the topic for discussion is an issue of global concern and Thailand, as Myanmar's neighbour and a leading voice in the 10-member Asean, should be taking a leadership role in addressing the situation.
In fact, several forums, several purely academic, have been shut down since the military took control of the country in 2014. Over the past four years, a string of people have faced threats and intimidation; some were charged by the state under the name of "national security", even though their campaigns or activities like the Sept 10 forum were peaceful.
It's undeniable that the raid on Monday was, at best, an overreaction by the police. At worst, it was paranoid.
On top of that the police operation is an infringement on the right to freedom of expression that is embraced by the current constitution that came into force last year. Such an operation is against the highest law of the country and is neither legitimate, nor legal.
Such a raid merely intensifies the image of the country as being an oppressive state, while the reputation of the police suffers further. Their shoddy work has led to public disappointment. Several cases bring into question their competency. Their handling of the latest Koh Tao rape case attests to that fact.
Instead of continuing to conduct operations that violate the supreme law, police should use all their resources to fulfil people's expectations in order to regain their trust. That could be achieved by performing their duties as stipulated under the law: chasing bandits and ensuring public safety. No more, no less.
