Showing 1 - 10 of 25
Navigating between global superpowers
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 14/02/2026
» Both China and the US issued new national security policies over the past year. At first glance, they seem to diverge markedly, portending a deep rupture in the world order. Yet, they may also bear some similarities in terms of self-interest and self-advancement. Collateral to that, other countries seeking to forge a middle path may wish to navigate a perspicacious route towards global equilibrium.
Should non-medicinal weed be legal?
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 09/06/2025
» The issue of narcotics is not only a law enforcement and medical issue. It is also a historical, political and economic issue. A recurrent dilemma is whether personal, non-medical use of "weed" or cannabis (which is generally seen as a softer drug, when compared with harder drugs such as methamphetamine), should be legal. Thailand is still in the quest for a balanced answer, and this is shaped by political and economic ambivalence.
Anti-torture push needs serious review
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/01/2025
» Back in 2007, the government agreed to be a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, otherwise known as the "CAT".
Unpacking China's global influence
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 29/08/2024
» Is China an enigma? If it is difficult to decipher the country on some fronts, there are other elements which are more accessible. While it might be easy to look at its impressive growth in recent decades as diverging from other global players in key areas, there are other areas which are mutually convergent. From the multidimensional panorama of a complex world -- the "multiplex" world, a preferred approach is not to generalise too much but to analyse the specifics of our times for possible confluence.
Deep dive into Indo-Pacific dreamscape
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 02/08/2024
» Is the term "Indo-Pacific" an illusion? Or is it a defined concept, a geographical configuration, a channel for connectivity, and/or a confining strategy? Perhaps it embodies an all-embracing blend, waiting for the onlooker to dive deep into political undercurrents. It may also be time to move beyond the landscape and the seascape and even leave the dreamscape behind.
Our UN obligations on disappearances
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 15/07/2024
» Enforced disappearance is the technical term for a heinous crime whereby a person or persons are deprived of their liberty, such as detention in an unknown place ("incommunicado"). This is accompanied by a cover-up by the state.
From Asian values to Asian narratives?
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 01/07/2024
» A debate is emerging over whether Asia should claim its own "narratives". The humble onlooker might well ask whether this is another version, a cliché, of the "Asian values" of the 1990s.
Handle Myanmar influxes with care
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 19/04/2024
» 'Preparedness" and "humane response" offer keywords for handling the various mass influxes from Myanmar. Those influxes might range from civilians in search of refuge to fighters ("combatants") in flight, all the more poignant today because of the armed conflagration in that country and the precarious border situation.
Soft power charms, with a Thai ripple
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 04/12/2023
» The term "soft power" has seeped into international relations and it is now a catchphrase with its own global momentum. Yet it should be recalled that in the 1980s, it was used to describe the nature of a weaker state confronted by the "hard power" embodied by a stronger state.
Govt kindles same-sex marriage hopes
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 23/11/2023
» The top of the executive branch has given a welcome signal that it will fast-track in parliament a law to recognise same-sex marriage in Thailand.