Dear Sirs and Madams:

On behalf of concerned Thais residing in the United States and the undersigned, we would like to draw your attention to emerging threats allegedly imposed by royalist Thais and the army-led Thai government on the U.S. soil against Thais residing in the U.S. as citizens or legal residents.

A most recent threat was in mail packages sent via FedEX from Thailand and delivered on August 27, 2020 to Mr. Jom Petchpradab, a Californian permanent resident who is also a prominent professional journalist covering political issues in Thailand. According to Red USA  Thai Voice International, a pro-democracy group based in Los Angeles, recounts what happened:

"On August 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, Jom received two mysterious packages, one at his home and the other at his friend’s [Mrs. Phonthip Weeden) home where he frequently visited. Both packages have the same contains; each package has a folder with dozens of photographs of Jom’s daily activities, details of his movements, his car with license plate, and his work place."

Essentially, the intended message is “Stop criticizing the monarchy, or else! I know who you are, where you live, where you work, what car you drive, and so on”—clearly a threat.  Red USA further investigated and found that the man who falsely put return address in Northeastern Thailand actually sent it from Bangkok by Mr. Phuwit Phukruea.  We have now learned that Phuwit works for General Pairoj Panichsamai (พลเอกไพโรจน์ พานิชสมัย), former aide to the late Chair of Privy Council General Prem Tinsulanonda and now a senator appointed by junta leader and prime minister General Prayuth Chan-O-cha.

And based on the above information, the threats could soon become physically violent or even fatal, and, if it is actually state-sponsored as the above information suggests, the likelihood of any plan being successfully carried out by non-Thai gang members or mafia groups is not low even on the U.S. soil!!

Violence against anti-monarchy and anti-dictatorship Thai dissidents overseas is not new.  Since the April-May 2010 massacre in which over 2000 protesters were injured and about 100 killed and especially after the May 22, 2014 coup, many Thais have fled Thailand to seek political asylum in European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and here in the United States. Some less fortunate Thais who could not make it to these more stable and democratic countries are now residing in less safe neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and at least ten dissidents hiding in these countries have been kidnaped and presumed dead. Please visit the Thai Alliance for Human Rights’ website at http://tahr-global.org for more insights into how serious the threats have been for Thai dissidents outside of Thailand, especially during the past few years in which waves of special army forces are reportedly commissioned to surveil on prominent dissidents across California with facilitation of the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles.     

We believe that the United States is the safest place on earth for any dissident in need of protection and in search of freedoms and democracy. It is also a fact that freedoms and security are guaranteed here in the U.S. more effectively than in any other place. However, we are afraid we cannot pretend we will continue to be safe unless some sort of action is taken by local authorities. 

Thus, we respectfully ask you monitor movements by the Thai authorities at the embassy and/or consulates and by members of Thai communities in the U.S. who side with the oppressive government and the monarchy network and are willing to do anything to silence dissidents and critics on the U.S. soil.

Respectfully yours,

Mr. Charupong Ruangsuwan
(Former Thailand's Minister of Interior)
President, Organization of FreeThais for Human Rights and Democracy (OFHD)

Snea Thinsan, Ph.D.  
Chair Board of Directors President
Thai Alliance for Human Rights
Email: president@tahr-global.org  

Along with those who sign this petition online. 

Questions about this petition can be sent to Dr. Snea Thinsan, email: president@tahr-global.org  
phone: (510) 566-2922