Thailand 'must end repression': Amnesty

Thailand's military government has engaged in "widespread" human rights violations since the May coup, Amnesty International says.

In a report, the rights group cited arbitrary detentions, a clampdown on free speech, allegations of beatings and unfair trials as examples.

It called on the junta to "end this disturbing pattern of repression".

The junta had described its measures as necessary and proportionate to the need to preserve security, Amnesty said.

But it said: "Security considerations cannot justify the large-scale and multi-dimensional human rights violations that have been perpetrated".

The report said 665 Thais had been ordered to report and/or detained and arrested by the authorities since the coup.

These included politicians, academics, activists and journalists. Some of them were held for up to a week without charge or trial, and could not make contact with lawyers or family.

Amnesty says they were held on "vague and flimsy grounds", such as being given time to "cool off" or for "attitude adjustment".

Amnesty also said it had received credible reports of torture from some detainees, including from political activist Kritsuda Khunasen. She claimed she was beaten and asphyxiated with a plastic bag if she did not answer interrogators' questions satisfactorily.