Amnesty Thailand skeptical about those ‘million signatures’ to kick it out

Amnesty International Thailand today cast doubt on the validity of a million signatures that an administration hardliner claimed to have gathered to “expel” it from the kingdom.

The Thai chapter of the human rights group questioned the validity of the signatures announced yesterday by Seksakol Atthawong, a redshirt turned ultranationalist in the prime minister’s office spearheading efforts to banish the group – and others like it – from the realm.

“At this point in time, Amnesty International is currently conducting an internal investigation regarding this matter,” Amnesty Thailand rep Naowarat Suasa-ard said, “Anybody can get a million signatures at any point in time.”

Seksakol, an assistant minister in the PM’s office, presented the petition to “expel” the group as he pushes legislation to severely curtail or even end the operations of…