BANGKOK: Angkhana Neelapaijit, who resigned as human rights commissioner two days ago, has been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Angkhana Neelaphaijit is a Thai human rights activist and the wife of disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit.Amnesty International described her as “a leading human rights defender in Southern Thailand”.
Angkhana Neelapaijit has been bravely working on this case, fighting for justice for her husband and all other victims of human rights violations in Southern Thailand and beyond.
The EU should continue to assist the Thai state to bring human rights cases to justice and show that it is truly a democratic state based on rule of law.
Angkhana Neelapaijit founded the Justice for Peace Foundation in 2006. The network has played a key role in documenting the human rights situation in southern Thailand.
Its work has raised public awareness and putting pressure on the government to act on human rights cases, providing legal assistance to victims and training women on human rights and the peace process.
Angkhana currently serves as the chairwoman of the Working Group for Justice and Peace, and continues to investigate allegations of police abuse in Southern Thailand.
In 2006, Angkhana, along with Malalai Joya of Afghanistan, won the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which honors “individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work”.
