[JURIST] Thailand’s military government on Friday blocked the launch of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] report [text] on the Vietnamese government’s persecution of an ethnic minority, citing concerns for international security and the country’s relationship with Vietnam. The launch was scheduled to take place at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) [official website], and is the third event to be cancelled at the venue this month. A written order was given to the FCCT and HRW by police to cancel the press conference that was to be held for the report’s release. The report by HRW, based on interviews with minorities seeking asylum and official Vietnamese media reports, discusses the Vietnamese government’s persecution of ethnic Montagnard Christians in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. It describes both religious and political persecution faced by Montagnards, who practice De Ga Protestantism and Ha Mon Catholicism. The religious practices have been dubbed “evil way” religions by the government, and official Vietnamese media show a policy to put an end to their practice [HRW report], according to HRW. HRW senior researcher in Asia Sunai Phasuk [official profile] expressed disappointment in the cancellation of the report’s launch, saying that “Thailand is now going to be known as the defender of human rights violators in (south-east Asia), which added more damage to Thailand’s already tarnished international reputation under military rule.”

Thailand has undergone political turmoil since the military coup in May 2014 when the country’s armed forces declared martial law [JURIST report] on a military run television station, citing Thailand’s martial law act of 1914 as the basis for the military’s action. Just two days later, Chan-ocha announced that the military had seized control of the country and suspended its constitution [JURIST report]. In May of this year, Thailand’s military government announced it would hold a referendum [JURIST report] on a new constitution, likely delaying the general elections scheduled for mid-2016. Thailand is currently operating under a temporary charter as its previous constitution was abolished after the coup. In April UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed alarm [JURIST report] over the Thai government’s decision to replace martial law with a new security order. In July Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej expressed his support [JURIST report] for the interim constitution despite concern from the international community. In September a group of Thai human rights activists denounced [JURIST report] and called for an end to the country’s state of martial law, accusing the ruling militia of imposing a judicial “twilight zone.”