Investigate killings: IGLHRC
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) last week wrote to the Thai Government to demand an immediate investigation into what they perceive to be a pattern of gruesome murders of lesbians and gender variant women — who identify as toms — between 2006 and 2012.
The IGLHRC demanded that Thai police stop dismissing the 15 murders as crimes of passion, love gone wrong, or the fault of the victims.
“We strongly urge the Thai Government order an immediate investigation of the killings and rapes of lesbians and toms in Thailand, and release results of this investigation in a press conference that includes LGBT groups and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand,” IGLHRC executive director Cary Alan Johnson said.
Many of the lesbians and toms had been raped in addition to being stabbed multiple times, suffocated, strangled, or shot to death.
Some of the victims were as young as 17.
In two cases of double homicides, lesbian couples were killed by men who objected to their relationship and felt rebuffed when their attempts at coercing one partner into a heterosexual relationship failed.
