That the Kingdom had delayed becoming a signatory to the UN convention on torture and its poor human rights record in relation to Muslims in the restive South contributed to its loss in Tuesday's election, Commissioner Dr Pradit Chareonthaitawee said.

One of the most important factors contributing to the failure was its delay in signing the UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishments.

The government's recent confirmation that it was using "blacklists" in the deep South to hunt down suspected insurgents had also contributed to the snub, Pradit said.

"The national human rights commission has for a long time recommended the government accept the convention, but there was no progress on the issue," the commissioner told The Nation in a phone interview.

The Foreign Ministry was yesterday adamant the failure to be elected to the newly formed UN human rights body had no connection to the country's human rights record.

"The government only had two weeks to campaign and many UN electoral techniques blocked votes for the kingdom," said Foreign Ministry deputy secretary-general Sihasak Phuangketkeow, after learning of the result.

Of the 47 seats on the council, 13 seats were allocated to Asia. Thailand won 120 votes in the secret ballot on May 9, losing the last Asian seat narrowly to Sri Lanka, which won 123 votes.

There were 63 nations competing, including 18 Asian candidates.

Asia's seats went to India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, China, Jordan, the Philippines, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

"We have made the right

decision to apply as a candidate for the council and have made strong pledges and commitments in the field of human rights both internationally and domestically," Sihasak said.

He said the government woulddefinitely run again next year, when four Asian seats become vacant.

"Compared with other candidates . . . even those who were elected, the Kingdom has a progressive record on human rights and many western nations supported Thailand," he said.

According to the pledges and commitments attached to its application, the Kingdom is a signatory to five of the seven core international human rights instruments.

In some quarters, Thailand's human rights record is considered to have gone downhill in the past five years, the span of Thaksin Shinawatra's administration.

Extra-judicial killings in the war against drugs that claimed some 3,000 lives, abductions by state officials and the tough handling of the situation in the deep South have blemished the country's record since 2001.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation