Lasting Tribute to the May 1992 Heroes and Martyrs

Today, twenty long years have passed since the Thai people experienced one of the most gruesome massacres in history when hundreds of people who were fighting for genuine change and democracy in the country were violently and brutally suppressed by the Thai security forces. A couple of decades have passed yet truth and justice on the killings and disappearances are still to be achieved. A number of victims are still unaccounted for.

While in recent years, the Thai government in recent years had sought to atone for the gross human rights violations committed during the 1992 Black May massacre by indemnifying some of the victims and their families and by promising to build a monument in memory of the May 1992 Heroes, efforts to simply turn the page Thailand’s repressive history without genuine truth and accountability merely manifest impunity.

Although the right to compensation of the victims of gross human rights violations is recognized under international law, this alone cannot recompense injustice and repair the harm done. It therefore must be complemented with seeking the truth behind the abominable human rights violations, bringing those responsible to justice, recognizing the right of victims and their families for reparation and for guarantees of non-repetition.

Today, as the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) joins the members of the Relatives Committee of the May 1992 Heroes in the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of 1992 Black May, we salute them for steadfastly pursuing their quest for truth and justice. By not failing to remember and honor the Heroes and Martyrs of May 1992, the country and even the whole world are being reminded that the past should never be obliterated but rather must be preserved as a guidepost for the nation’s future.

The Thai government must therefore take necessary and adequate actions towards understanding the circumstances that led to the past violations, explicitly apologizing for its historical blunder and learning from it, preserving the memory of the victims and ensuring that such transgressions will never happen again.

One concrete step that the Thai government should take is the immediate ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. While we hail the signing of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced disappearance by the Thai government on 9 January 2012, it should move forward by ratifying this new treaty and passing a domestic legislation to effectively implement its provisions.

We believe that reparation can never fully undo the irreparable damage done. But serious efforts to acknowledge the darkness of the Black May massacre and the succeeding violations that recurred in the course of history, including the relatively recent disappearances in the southern part of the country, punishing the perpetrators, fulfilling the symbolic monument long-promised by the government – these are important elements of truth and justice that the victims of the Black May massacre truly deserve.

Finally, an incessant struggle for accountability towards ending impunity shall serve as a lasting tribute to the victims of the May 1992 massacre and all victims of human rights violations in Thailand.

Signed and authenticated by:

MUGIYANTO	MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO
Chairperson	Secretary-General