Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Projecting hope for a world in turmoil
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 10/04/2026
» Today, the world is witnessing the most explosive situation since World War II, all too visible in conflicts such as the Iran war.
What's next after same-sex marriage?
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 20/01/2025
» Jan 23, 2025 will be remembered as a historic day for both Thailand and Southeast Asia. As a result of the amendments to the Thai Civil and Commercial Code -- which will come into effect on that day, 120 days after it was royally endorsed in the final months of 2024 -- same-sex couples will be able to register their marriage, and enjoy the rights of spouses under the law, regardless of their gender, without discrimination.
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.
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.
Multilateralism in a fractured world
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/06/2024
» Multilateralism lies at the heart of international relations as an enabler of states to converge in an ever-changing world. It is closely linked with the United Nations (UN), setting in motion a rules-based system, embracing international peace and security anchored on international law.
Thai Human Rights Council aspirations
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 17/05/2024
» Thailand's quest for membership of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), Geneva, for the period 2025-2027, is rightly gaining interest among the general public. With a new foreign minister today, it is intriguing to prospect whether there will be more (or less) momentum in the competition towards the winning post -- with elections for the HRC due in New York in October.
Gateways for action on Myanmar crisis
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 11/01/2023
» The coup in Myanmar in 2021 brought back to power a junta-based regime and compounded grave violations, adding fuel to a recurrent crisis. A constructive gateway for action in December 2022 was thus the adoption of the UN Security Council (SC) Resolution 2669, the first substantive resolution highlighting urgently needed measures on the issue.
UN General Assembly must assert itself
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 20/04/2022
» The recent vote in the UN General Assembly (GA) suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), due to its conduct in Ukraine, in early April 2022 is a rare instance of the GA asserting its powers with binding force. Generally, only the UN Security Council (SC) can adopt measures; these are exemplified by sanctions adopted by the SC periodically against errant states, non-government armed groups and individuals. Is there then room for a more assertive GA, especially when the SC is dysfunctional?
Advocating for Afghan girls' education
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 20/10/2021
» Afghanistan is a rugged country of great beauty straddling Asia and Europe, and it has been the scene of warfare and contestation for decades. The Taliban, a group connected to extreme violence, especially in the late 1990s, emerged as the power in control of Afghanistan recently, due to the void left by outsiders. This is their second time in power and the world can remember all too well that from the mid-1990s until 2001, their rule at the time was harsh and brutal, especially in their clampdown on the rights of women and girls. The latter suffered immensely from a lack of access to school, while the former were also prevented from employment.
A multi-track strategy for North Korea
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 01/09/2021
» North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been a conundrum for the international community for over half a century. Cloistered and undemocratic, the power base keeps a tight rein over its population with heavy surveillance and pervasive constraints. The latest news that recently it restarted to activate its nuclear facility at Yongbyon is most disturbing, as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has already imposed sanctions on the country to end its nuclearisation. Is there any strategy to deal with the country in an engaging manner?