<p>The Save Bang Kloi Coalition held a candlelight vigil last night (16 March), the 10th day of their protest at Government House, to call for justice for the indigenous Karen community at Bang Kloi, in remembrance of Lahu indigenous rights activist Chaiyaphum Pasae, who was killed at a checkpoint by military officers in 2017. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Protection International interviewed Yupin Saja, an indigenous woman human rights defender from the Rak Lahu (Love Lahu) group, on her life under COVID-19.</p>

<div><strong>Joint Statement by Protection International (PI) and Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) on Acquittal of Nawa </strong><strong>Chaoue</strong><strong>, Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defender, Co-Founder of Save Lahu Group</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>02 May 2018</div> <div>Chiang Mai, Thailand</div> <div> </div> <div>Chiang Mai, Thailand, on 24th April 2018, at about 3:30 pm community leaders from Save Lahu, Protection International (PI) and the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) witnessed the </div>

<div>His lawyer and brother speak out about the difficulties in the investigation into the death, about a community in fear and about a family grievously hurt as last March 17th marked the first anniversary of a soldier shooting dead Lahu activist Chaiyaphum Pasae, accusing him of smuggling drugs.</div> <p></p>

<div> <div>Evidence submitted by the Army in the case of the summary execution of a Lahu activist is unusable, a defence lawyer has claimed.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Although the trial in the killing of ethnic Lahu activist Chaiyapoom Pasae began over seven months ago, the court has not yet received the Army’s CCTV footage, critical evidence which recorded soldiers shooting the activist.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to Sumitchai Hattasan, the lawyer for Chaiyapoom’s family, the Army had already sent the CCTV hard disk to the police, but the file cannot be opened. </div></div>

<p>Police have raided the village of a murdered Lahu activist and arrested several of his family members in an alleged drug crackdown.</p> <p>On 29 May 2017, policemen and officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau<a href="https://www.matichon.co.th/news/569339">&nbsp;arrested&nbsp;</a>five people from Ban Kong Phak Ping in Chiang Dao District of Chiang Mai.</p> <p>Among the five is Chanthana Pasae, 20, a relative of&nbsp;<a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/7020">Chaiyapoom Pasae</a>, a young ethnic Lahu activist who was summarily killed by a soldier on 17 March.</p>

<p>Defending the soldier who shot dead a youth Lahu activist on suspicion of selling drugs, the national police chief said the activist could have shot soldiers.</p> <p>On 28 March 2017, at the National Police Headquarters in Bangkok, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, chief of the Royal Thai Police (RTP),&nbsp;<a href="http://m.prachachat.net/news_detail.php?newsid=1490678938">announced&nbsp;</a>that the police are now investigating the CCTV footage at the checkpoint where the Lahu activist Chaiyapoom Pasae was killed on 17 March.</p>

<p>Contrary to the claims of police, two Commissioners of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have found that the recently slain Lahu activist made his living from selling coffee beans not illicit drugs.</p> <p>On 25 March 2017, Angkhana Neelapaijit and Tuenjai Deetes of the NHRC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khaosod.co.th/special-stories/news_269988">visited the house</a>&nbsp;of Chaiyapoom Pasae of the Lahu ethnic minority who was summarily killed by soldiers on 17 March on suspicion of selling drugs.</p>

<div> <div>The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated an investigation into the recent killing of a Lahu activist after the incident raised great concern among both international and domestic human rights organisations.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 21 March 2016, National Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit <a href="http://www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-39337564?ocid=socialflow_facebook">stated</a> that the NHRC will collect reports and documents related to the recent summary killing of Chaiyaphum Pasae, She said that the incident has made her lose faith in the Thai </div></div>

<div><a href="https://www.hrw.org/asia/thailand">Thai</a> authorities should immediately and transparently investigate the shooting death of a teenage ethnic Lahu activist who had been detained by the military, Human Rights Watch said today. </div>

<p>Soldiers have summarily killed a Lahu youth activist after attempting to arrest him as an alleged drug suspect.</p> <p>On 17 March 2017, soldiers and other security officers of the Pha Muang Task Force deployed at a checkpoint in Mueang Na Subdistrict of Chiang Dao District in Chiang Mai Province summarily killed Chaiyapoom Pasae, a 17-year-old member of the Lahu ethnic minority.</p> <p>The soldiers claimed that they found a certain amount of amphetamine in the car Chaiyaphum was sitting in and that he resisted arrest by pulling out a knife before running into a bush.</p>

<div> <div>A provincial court in northern Thailand has found three ethnic Lahu villagers guilty of encroaching on a national park and offences against authorities.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 27 September 2016, Fang Provincial Court sentenced three ethnic Lahu: Withun Khiriratsami, Pra-ae Khiriratsami and Chakui Chabalo. The three were accused of encroaching on Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park and of assaulting park rangers.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Withun faces a one year and two month suspended jail term and 4,500 baht fine. </div></div>