Showing 1 - 7 of 7
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.
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.
Tackling the controversial NGO law
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/01/2022
» Does Thailand need a law to regulate the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), otherwise known as non-profit organisations (NPOs)? A draft law has emerged recently which is causing a lot of headaches for civil society. The cabinet on Tuesday approved this draft in principle; it is now being forwarded to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security for a public hearing, before it is sent to parliament for final approval. The authorities claim the new law is required to make the work of NGOs more transparent and to counter money-laundering.
Protecting Southeast Asia's media
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 03/11/2021
» There have been reports of attacks on journalists which cast a shadow of shame on the Southeast Asian region. Yesterday -- Nov 2 -- has also been designated as the International Day to end the impunity in relation to attacks on journalists.
Slowly moving away from the death penalty
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 22/04/2021
» One of the interesting developments in Thailand is that official circles are gradually moving away from the death penalty as a sanction against crimes. This is witnessed by the Ministry of Justice's campaign to invite the public to look at options beyond the death penalty. What if there is a large proportion of the population in the country which still favours its retention rather than abolition? There is a need to balance with the international trend and the country's obligations.
Challenges to human rights in Asia
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 12/12/2019
» Cooperation between Europe and Asia offers much-needed opportunities to strengthen human rights education. The opportunities complement the global impetus to propel human rights education exemplified by various commitments in the recent past, ranging from the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education to the World Programme for Human Rights Education and the UN Resolution on Human Rights Education and Training.
Asean watchdog needs substantive protection role
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/06/2019
» The Asean Intergovernmental Commission On Human Rights (AICHR) is 10 years old this year. How has it fared so far? In its work, it is the promotion-oriented aspect rather than the protection-based dimension which has prevailed to date and, with that ambivalence, the performance of AICHR leaves much to be desired.