Prominent Thai human rights defenders threatened after comments on Thai-Cambodia war
(BANGKOK, October 21, 2025)—Thai Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit and Sunai Phasuk, Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch, received online death threats and hate speech in response to their public comments on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, and the Government of Thailand must protect them and all human rights defenders from harassment and threats, Fortify Rights said today. The two prominent human rights defenders filed a petition on October 18 with the Royal Thai Police seeking protection.
The threats reportedly came after the pair criticized the use of loudspeaker trucks to amplify ghostly sounds toward Cambodian civilians — a tactic they said may violate international human rights standards. According to press reports, on October 18, the Thai Royal Army ordered those responsible to stop using the sound trucks, but more action is needed to ensure the protection of Angkhana Neelapaijit and Sunai Phasuk, Fortify Rights said.
“Angkhana has every reason to fear for her life in the face of these death threats, given that her own husband was disappeared by Thai security forces 20 years ago, and no-one was ever held accountable for this crime,” said Peter Bouckaert, Senior Director at Fortify Rights. “The Thai government must treat these death threats seriously, and ensure that these prominent human rights defenders receive the protection they deserve for their courageous work.”
On October 11, 2025, Keo Remy, President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), wrote to Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, alleging that the Royal Thai Armed Forces projected disturbing sounds into Cambodia. The letter stated that:
These sounds, described as intense, high-pitched noises lasting for prolonged periods, have disrupted sleep, provoked anxiety, and caused physical discomfort among residents, including women, children, the elderly, the sick, and persons with disabilities.
The CHRC’s urgent appeal claims that these uses of amplified sounds violate several international human rights treaties that Thailand has ratified.
Commenting on the CHRC’s complaint, Angkhana Neelapaijit urged the Thai government to recognize that actions causing fear or psychological harm to civilians, particularly vulnerable groups, may constitute psychological torture under the U.N. Convention Against Torture, to which Thailand is a State Party. Her comments prompted a strong public reaction, including online hate speech and death threats against her and her family. Sunai Phasuk, who publicly supported Angkhana Neelapaijit and echoed her concerns, also faced similar threats. Users online accused the pair of being “unpatriotic” and “loyal to Cambodia.”
On October 15, Mary Lawlor, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, expressed grave concern via social media over the threats directed at Angkhana Neelapaijit and called for her immediate protection.
Angkhana Neelapaijit is a widely respected woman human rights defender in Thailand. She is a former member of the U.N. Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and National Human Rights Commissioner of Thailand. She is also the wife of Somchai Neelapaijit, a prominent Muslim lawyer, who was forcibly disappeared by Thai authorities in 2004. She currently serves as a member of the Thai Senate and was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019 for her human rights work.
For more than thirty years, Sunai Phasuk has worked to promote and protect human rights in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Government bodies in Thailand, embassies, and international agencies, including the United Nations, the European Commission, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, regularly call on him to comment and advise on human rights-related topics.
Thailand adopted the second National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in September 2023. One of its stated goals is to “[e]stablish procedures or systems to fairly protect human rights defenders,” and to “[c]onsider, formulate, review, improve or amend laws, measures, mechanisms, and processes to enable the protection of human rights defenders”. Thailand’s Constitution also aligns with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Thailand is a state party, in guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression. At present, Thailand does not have a domestic law to proactively prevent threats and harassment directed toward human rights defenders.
In March 2026, Thailand will undergo its next Universal Periodic Review – a process conducted under the auspices of the U.N. Human Rights Council, where other U.N. member states scrutinize each nation’s human rights record.
“Thailand portrays itself as a model of human rights leadership in the region,” said Peter Bouckaert. “Rising ultranationalist sentiments must not be allowed to compromise human rights and Thailand’s international reputation.”