A/HRC/19/2 southern border provinces, which contributed to the culture of impunity. It called for the presentation of a precise plan of action to lift such laws and to repeal section 17 of the Emergency Decree. 523. The Asian Legal Resource Centre welcomed the Government’s recent signing of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, but noted that this could be seen only as a first step towards addressing disappearances and witness protection. It noted the growing threats to political freedom. A number of long prison sentences had been abusively imposed for lèse majesté under article 112 of the Criminal Code and under the 2007 Computer Crime Act. Academics and human rights defenders calling for the revision of article 112 had been threatened in recent months. The Centre called on the Government to end such threats and the abusive use of lèse majesté, and to allow a country visit by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression. It also noted with concern that the universal periodic review process had not addressed the increasingly grave rights violations connected to development projects, as well as the grabbing of land and natural resources. It also expressed concern at reported threats and attacks, including abusive legal attacks and extrajudicial killings, against human rights defenders working on environmental issues. 524. In a joint statement, Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco, the International Volunteerism Organization for Women, Education and Development, Mouvement international d’apostolat des milieux sociaux indépendants, the International Organization for the Right to Education and Freedom of Education, Association Points-Coeur and the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul expressed their concern about the direct and indirect discrimination against children belonging to ethnic minorities and children with disabilities. They were also concerned about the difficulty of ensuring birth registration of the most vulnerable children in the north and north-east. Children with disabilities in remote villages encountered serious barriers to the full enjoyment of their rights. They noted a number of problems in access to education, such as the persistence of tuition fees, inadequately qualified teachers in rural and indigenous schools, and that the bilingual education system was not fully effective. 525. Action Canada for Population and Development welcomed the Government’s acknowledgement of the human rights of sex workers to health-care information and services. It hoped that the Government would develop concrete plans and strategies to address the stigma and discrimination of sex workers, as well as of effective and rightsbased strategies to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care. While acknowledging the Government’s efforts to provide universal health care to vulnerable groups, it remained concerned that migrants with irregular status had no access to healthcare information and services. It urged the Government to consult and collaborate with local rights-based non-governmental organizations working with people experiencing stigma, discrimination and marginalization. 526. The International Commission of Jurists welcomed the commitments made by Thailand to address the issue of impunity. While victims might seek compensation from the Government for any wrongful act committed by its agents, this was just one element in combating impunity. Thailand must make a clear and public commitment to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations were brought to trial and duly punished. The Commission urged Thailand to respond positively to recommendations relating to repealing section 17 of the Emergency Decree and abolishing provisions of the martial law that grant immunity from criminal and civil prosecution to State officials, and to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance promptly. 527. The International Federation for Human Rights regretted the fact that Thailand had not accepted key recommendations related to core human rights concerns, which GE.13-14768 211