Fact Sheet on threat against a human rights activist in Takbai

On 19 April 2011 at 4.30pm, there were around 20 polices and army officers from Takbai police station with armed surrounded and searched the house of Ms. Yaena Salaemae resident of Takbai District. She is a leading human rights activist calling for the justice of Takbai incident.

The officers came to search without arrest warrant from the court and only informed her that the search was done due to an informant informed officials that Ms. Yaena Salaema might be related to the attack of Paiwan Check Point.

Earlier at around 1.30 pm. unidentified men dressed similar to army uniform robbed a vegetable delivery truck and used that truck as a vehicle to attack police check point at Paiwan Sub-district on the Narathivath-Takbai road. The check point is located at Salachuak, Moo 6. Salamai, Takbai, Narathivath. There were no injuries only some damages from shooting bullets.

The officers particularly searched Ms. Yaena’s house and didn’t search other neighbors’ houses. There were no illegal things found and any suspects arrested. There was a search record and she has signed in that record.

One of the officer said to Ms. Yaena that she should not told this incident to Ms. Angkhana Neelapaijit, Chairperson of JPF.

Remarks: Ms. Yaena Salaemae is rewarded a prominent women human rights defender from National Human Rights commission. She was selected to join the international meeting of human rights defenders organized by Frontline International at Dublin, Ireland in 2010. She was also invited to join the 18 May Event related to human rights activity in Kwangju, South Korea in 2010.

She has shown her vital role in assisting victims of human rights violation to access justice and has been working several human rights networks. This year, she leaded the victims of Takbai in submitting the motion urging National Human Rights Commission to file the criminal lawsuit on behalf of victims of Takbai case to seek for truth and justice. NHRC has also its mandatory to file the lawsuit on behalf of the victims of human rights violation for the public interest purpose. Since then, Ms. Yaena Salaemae has been questioned, intimidated by a number army offices related to the said criminal lawsuit related to Takbai.

Recently she assisted Thai PBS documentary production team who is producing a documentary of Takbai Incident.

The house search incident on 19 April 2011 has created fear and insecurity for her as well as threat to her since she has been active working on human rights monitoring and protection. She considered that she doesn’t have any personal dispute with anyone. She is certain that the threat is related her role as human right activist. In 2007, her husband was assassinated in his own village. The gunman is still at large.

Noted by Ms. Angkhana Neelapaijit, Chairperson of JPF
19 April 2011