Showing 111 - 120 of 153
Abetting dictators
News, Editorial, Published on 12/12/2018
» The sudden government interest in apprehending political opponents of foreign governments is disappointing. It may be coincidence but in just a week, police have forcibly detained critics of the governments of Cambodia and Bahrain. The arrests and threats of deportation or extradition to these undemocratic countries go against normal human rights practices. They also violate decades of Thai policy that often welcomed and never threatened lives of foreigners pitted against their governments.
'Khon' dance no reason for discord
News, Editorial, Published on 02/12/2018
» Members of the public this week rejoiced as the khon mask dance earned global recognition with Unesco adding it to its cultural heritage list after a long wait.
Army chief feels a draft
News, Editorial, Published on 06/11/2018
» As a new batch of conscripts reported to the army late last week, army commander Apirat Kongsompong used the occasion to defend conscription into the Royal Thai Armed Forces. In the process, Gen Apirat stated two different points in one pithy sentence -- one basically true and the other off the track. He also unfortunately took the occasion to champion current military discipline. He would have been better advised to speak about reform of the Thai military, starting with its methods of discipline.
Let's protect child migrants
News, Editorial, Published on 02/11/2018
» Recent reports by two human rights advocacy agencies demonstrate the plight of child migrants in state custody in Thailand as legal mechanisms based on humanitarian principles are sadly lacking to properly handle those who are arrested and jailed with their parents or relatives.
Shared items with no sole 'owner'
News, Editorial, Published on 09/09/2018
» Over the past weeks, social media has buzzed with a number of Khmer netizens jittering over Thailand's registration of khon masked dance performance as intangible cultural heritage with Unesco.
One-party Cambodia
News, Editorial, Published on 31/07/2018
» The Cambodian election is over except for some vote-counting in remote areas. There was no shock. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won easily, and will apparently rule legally for yet another five years. Thais must hope and work to ensure that this country does not go the lamentable direction of Cambodia.
Poll bodes ill for Cambodia
News, Editorial, Published on 28/07/2018
» With a series of legal tactics that wiped out the increasingly popular opposition party and its manipulation of the electorate, Cambodia's ruling party has played dirty to win tomorrow's general election but also surely soured the legitimacy of its victory.
Slow down dam building
News, Editorial, Published on 26/07/2018
» With 46 hydropower plants currently, Laos plans to have a total of 100 dams by 2020 to serve the energy-starved Mekong region. That could help the one party-ruled country achieve its ambition of becoming "the battery of Southeast Asia". But the dam collapse in Attapeu in southeastern Laos on Monday shows how easily catastrophes can happen.
Well done, can improve
News, Editorial, Published on 02/07/2018
» The annual US State Department report on efforts to combat human trafficking was released last week, with deserved praise for Thailand. For the second time in three years, the benchmark Trafficking in Persons Report raised the country's ranking against all nations of the world. The promotion to "Tier 2" caused celebration in the military regime. It also warned of serious challenges in the new campaign to raise Thailand from second place to the top.
Dammed if you do
Editorial, Published on 21/06/2018
» Laos’ latest announcement of a decision to go ahead with its fourth 770-megawatt Pak Lay dam project has sent an alarming sign that the tide of hydropower development on the mainstream Mekong River is not just unstoppable, but accelerating.