Capital punishment: In 2021, the Narcotics Code was enacted, enabling the abolishment of some offenses with mandatory capital punishment. This allows judges to use their discretion to order other punishments in lieu of the capital punishment. Nevertheless, the NHRCT suggests that the government should review relevant laws to abolish the capital punishment for those offenses that do not constitute the “most serious crimes” to comply with the ICCPR. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press: There were prosecutions against people expressing their opinions critical of the government during public demonstrations and on social media. The efforts of the government to tackle fake news might cause a restrictive and chilling effect on people wishing to express their opinions. However, the administrative power in enforcing the Computer-Related Crime Act B.E. 2550 could be challenged by judicial review. On the other hand, the Royal Thai Police established a working committee to screen prosecutions relating to offenses under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. 3 Assessment of Human Rights Situation Relating to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Workers’rights: In 2021, the government and related agencies has made efforts to protect many workers’ rights. However, some groups of workers, such as informal and platform workers, still faced problems and were not protected in terms of wages and welfare. Some migrant workers had difficulties accessing social protection mechanisms. The smuggling of migrant workers from neighboring countries continued while the signing of MOU to import workers legally was time-consuming and expensive. Right to health: The government provided better access to effective health services by continually developing the primary healthcare system and establishing the health insurance system for prisoners with legal status and rights problems and for migrant prisoners. Nevertheless, some groups of people still faced obstacles in accessing healthcare services. Besides, some health issues required further monitoring, including the increasing rate of mental health problems and insufficient assistance resulting from limited number of healthcare workers. Right to education: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has made efforts to ensure that education could continue using online platforms. The government has provided educational media and equipment, as well as financial assistance. Additionally, the government has encouraged the COVID-19 vaccination in preparation for the re-opening of schools. However, online education might affect access to education of students from low-income families and the quality of education. Community rights in land, natural resources, and environmental management: The government has made efforts to allocate arable lands for communities through the work of the National Land Policy Committee. The government also pursued forest conservation and prevention of forest encroachment by legislating laws that allow people to live and earn a livelihood in forest areas. Nevertheless, the overall progress of land allocation was quite limited, while the specified regulations did not ensure sufficient security of land tenure. Business and human rights: The government has prepared an anti-discrimination bill which prohibits discriminatory practices in various รายงานผลการประเมิินสถานการณ์์ ด้้านสิิทธิิมนุุษยชนของประเทศไทย ปีี 2564 to resolve the problem in the areas, yet violent incidents continued to happen from time to time. The operations of state officers to curb violence in some cases may affect the rights of the people and cause concern among them. 17