Showing 1 - 10 of 33
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.
Re-energising higher education in Asean
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 22/12/2025
» Higher education, implying the tertiary level associated with universities and parallel institutions, is at an inflexion point in Southeast Asia, where the trajectory of socio-political, economic and cultural development is changing rapidly.
Vitalising pathways for Thai-US ties
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 30/08/2025
» Tariffs have certainly been in the news lately, in the face of exponential increases imposed by the US on other parts of the world.
Sustaining healthcare in volatile times
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 18/08/2025
» Health care is pivotal for human well-being. Yet in today's precarious world, it is pressured by diminishing resources, demographic variables, warfare and violence, and environmental degradation. Sustaining health care thus requires insightful planning and implementation, no less for Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regions.
Labour and the dynamics of change
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 25/07/2025
» The fluctuating international context compels countries in this region and beyond to recalibrate their labour laws, policies and practices. This is particularly critical at a time of great demographic changes, such as declining and ageing population in parts of the globe, compromised by a more transactional and conditional world of "quid pro quo". Thailand faces an inflection point on this front, requiring dynamic adjustments.
Bridge-building for ethnic concerns
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 08/05/2025
» Recent months have witnessed intense negotiations in Thailand's parliament concerning the proposed new law on the protection and promotion of the livelihood of ethnic groups. Can the various gaps be truly bridged?
Streamlining Myanmar refugee policy
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 13/02/2025
» Thailand's record on sheltering a multitude of refugees has generally been commendable throughout the years. Yet at times there are paradoxes, exemplified by the push-back of Cambodian refugees recently, the current threat to send back a Vietnamese Montagnard refugee, and the ominous clouds pressing insidiously for the forced return of Uyghur refugees.
Reconfiguring Asean rights declaration
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 13/12/2024
» It has been 12 years since the Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) was adopted in 2012 by the 10-member regional grouping, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, embodying the key standards of human rights for the Southeast Asian region. How has it fared after all these years?
Thailand has human rights role to play
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 04/11/2024
» The recent election of Thailand to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is, in a sense, a cause for elation. Yet it also comes with the responsibility of proving to the global/local community that the country can set an example for good practices and propel the HRC to take effective action on key matters based on international standards. This is daunting in a world of multi-and-mini polarities and poly-crises.
Reimagining human rights and China?
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 23/09/2024
» Should human rights be reimagined, especially in the context of China? From one angle, the answer is obvious. Plenty of norms are already agreed upon globally without the need for reimagination, and China is part of that universality. Yet given the situation on the ground level and the evolving nature of human rights, there might be room for some innovative reimagination, and this deserves balanced reflection.