Showing 1 - 10 of 442
Senators send the 'old man' a warning
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 27/05/2024
» It was a close call. Five against four was the vote by the nine Constitutional Court judges when they decided not to suspend Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from performing his duties after they voted 6:3 to accept for consideration the petition of 40 senators demanding the removal of the prime minister for allegedly violating ethical standards in appointing Phichit Chuenban as PM's Office Minister.
Thailand's judiciary faces challenges
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 24/05/2024
» Thailand appears to be a country of 70 million, ultimately ruled by an unelected few. This sobering reality was on display when two connected groups of top generals seized power from democratically elected governments in September 2006 and May 2014. Unlike these blatant military coups over the past two decades, at issue now is the power and role of the judiciary. While Thailand has another democratically elected civilian government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the question that needs to be asked is whether the country is effectively under judicial rule.
A small Slovak assassination bid; few hurt
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 21/05/2024
» Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, once called Slovakia "the black hole at the heart of Europe", which seems a harsh judgement on five million Slovaks. The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico was alarming, but we can narrow the problem down to a more specific group of people.
For journalists, neutrality is not the goal
Oped, Published on 17/05/2024
» My ability to be neutral as a political journalist depends on the intellectual honesty of the people -- and the society -- I cover.
Democracy survives crucial test in Senegal
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 04/04/2024
» The crisis in Senegal, the one country in West Africa that has never had a military coup, has passed. Few people outside Africa were paying close attention to it, but I'm sure you will be pleased to know that democracy has survived.
Border talks a test for PM
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/02/2024
» The arrest of two Cambodian activists and a political prisoner who had been granted refugee status last week does not bode well for a Thai government determined to improve its human rights standing as it once again competes for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Israel vs the ICJ: Is this a waste of time?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 18/01/2024
» The two sides have had their day in court -- one day each, actually. The 17 judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have now retired to consider what interim decisions they should make on South Africa's accusation that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip amount to the crime of genocide. Is this just a waste of time?
Ditch Google to avoid fake news
News, Published on 15/01/2024
» Searching for information has become instant and effortless -- just go to your nearest device, ask Siri or click a few keys. But are we better informed than we were before Google became a verb?
Deja vu as charter court weighs MFP ban
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 12/01/2024
» It is déjà vu in Thai politics this month as Thailand's biggest elected political party and its leader face Constitutional Court verdicts that could lead to a familiar dissolution and ban. At issue is the political future of Pita Limjaroenrat and the fate of the Move Forward Party (MFP), which he led to a stunning victory at the election last May. However the verdicts come out, they might be perceived by pundits as decided by the political winds of the day.
Ethical vacuum
Oped, Editorial, Published on 16/12/2023
» The death of a critically injured Taiwanese tourist who was denied emergency treatment by a private hospital in Bangkok's Phatthanakan area is, indeed, a tragedy that could have been avoided if the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) principle had been strictly followed.