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5 October, 2006
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont
General Sondhi Boonyaratglin
Government House
Pitsunalok Road
Bangkok 10300
Thailand
Brussels, 5 October 2006
Dear General,
Dear Prime Minister,
Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, today, the ICEM Presidium, the policy setting body of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, demands the immediate and full restoration of civil rights and democratic freedoms in your country.
The ICEM Presidium members see it as an important priority to lift the current martial law at once. In addition, elections need to be held as soon as possible.
The restoration of fundamental human rights is a necessary and urgently needed first step so that your country can be put back on its route to democracy. As part of this, we call upon you to remove, without delay, the whole range of political restrictions that are currently in place, so that the situation for Thai citizens can be normalised.
The ICEM is scheduled to hold its 4th World Congress in Bangkok next year, from 22 to 24 November 2007.
Thanking you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Higgs
General Secretary.
Cc: Embassy of Thailand in Brussels