A coalition of 16 organisations working to combat gender-based violence has called on the People's Party (PP) to apologise to former MP Tisana Choonhavan over its handling of her sexual abuse allegations and launch an independent investigation into the case.
Ms Tisana, who was an MP with the Move Forward Party (MFP), the PP's predecessor, recently revealed in her book that she had been sexually abused by a fellow MFP MP.
She said she informed party executives at the time, but no meaningful action was taken to protect her, while the alleged perpetrator continued to receive political opportunities.
The PP later acknowledged that former party executives were aware of the incident.
However, it said Ms Tisana did not want the party to reveal the alleged perpetrator's identity, preventing a formal investigation. Ms Tisana has disputed this account, saying she identified the alleged perpetrator to party executives from the outset.
The Coalition against Gender-based Violence Thailand said Ms Tisana's account should be heard with respect and without attempts to discredit her by citing unrelated aspects of her behaviour.
It also expressed concern that similar cases involving party personnel had occurred in the past and the party still lacked an effective system for preventing and addressing sexual misconduct.
The coalition made five recommendations. First, it urged the PP to formally apologise to Ms Tisana for failing to provide adequate safety and support.
Second, it said the party should not use her alleged reluctance to identify the perpetrator or file a complaint as grounds for inaction and should provide her with legal support.
Third, it called for comprehensive policies and procedures for dealing with sexual misconduct.
Fourth, it urged the party to appoint an independent panel of trusted external experts to review the case and recommend how it should be addressed.
Finally, the coalition called for swift action, warning that prolonged inaction could damage the PP's legitimacy and contribute to victim blaming.
