Twopeople accused of being involved in the deadly Bangkok bombing of 17 August 2015 and three others arrested on fraud and lèse-majesté charges were sent to the facility. Thai authorities said that Pol. Maj. Prakom Warunprapha, one of the lèse-majesté detainees, died at the facility on 23 October after he was found hanging by a shirt in his cell. On 7 November, Mr. Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, another lèse-majesté detainee, was found dead in his cell. Authorities said he died from blood poisoning.

The UNHuman Rights Office has asked the Thai Government to conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial inquiry into the two deaths in custody. Matilda Bogner, OHCHR’s regional representative, said an independent and impartial investigation would clarify the circumstances of the deaths, ensure accountability and help prevent further similar incidents. She added, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand should help with any investigation. Bogner also stressed that the results of the inquiry should be made public.

Referring to the military detention ofcivilians, Bogner said it appeared that at least some of the military officers were not suitably trained to run such a detention facility, and that the rights of the detainees had not been fully met. “It was reported that a lawyer representing one of the suspects in the Bangkok bombing case was not allowed to meet with his client in a confidential manner, and that he had his questions screened beforehand,” she said. “ InternationalLaw guarantees due process rights for detainees, including prompt, confidential and regular access to lawyers. Breaches of due process rights leads to an environment ofincreased risk to the safety of detainees.”