Showing 1 - 10 of 11
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.
Time travelling with human rights
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 03/07/2023
» If humanity had to travel with human rights (past, present and future), what might be pivotal dates interplaying with our destiny? 1993, 2005, 2023 and 2033 might well be candidates for testing our recent chronology.
Building bridges from Asia to Africa the right way
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 29/04/2023
» The quest to build bridges between Asia and Africa is longstanding. A Chinese Admiral -- Zheng He -- led a series of voyages from East Asia to East Africa, down to Kenya and possibly Zanzibar, from the year 1405. The ships he navigated were enormous -- about 400 feet long and 100 feet wide (122 metres by 30.5m) -- especially when compared with Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria, which was about 70 feet long. For centuries, people have also migrated and traded between the two regions.
Protecting migrants, refugees in our age of conflict
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 07/01/2020
» There are about 270 million international migrants today who cross borders in search of new vistas. Many such as "expatriates" do well. However, many, particularly those who are pushed out of their homes, are caught in a trap of dislocation, dispossession and coercion, often due to armed conflicts, discrimination and violence. The number of forced migrants now stands at about 70 million people globally -- some 30 million who cross borders as "refugees" and some 40 million forced to move in their country of origin as "internally displaced persons".
Human rights and the Asian riddle
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 08/10/2018
» This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a seminal declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. This document has spawned several international treaties ("conventions") and it has inspired a vast range of actions worldwide to protect human rights on the basis of equality and non-discrimination.
Can Asean deal with international crimes?
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 03/09/2018
» The issue of accountability for international crimes has come to the fore poignantly with the report of the UN's Independent International Fact-finding Commission on Myanmar. The Commission finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed in the country, particularly impacting on the Rohingya community in Rakhine state. Significantly, it calls upon Asean to "develop strategies to ensure accountability for perpetrators of crimes under international law, including through sustained engagement with Myanmar and support for an international justice mechanism".
Human rights still in second place to 'Asian values'
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 22/11/2015
» Earlier this year, a famous global weekly published an article titled “Asian Values”. Basically, it was delving into the longevity of various successful dynasties in the Asian region. Such is the debate in 2015.
UN must be resolute on Syria
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 20/10/2014
» The war in Syria is deteriorating by the day and wreaks havoc on the daily lives of the population. In its destructive path, there is a vortex of bloody violations enmeshed with increasing extremism. The underlying challenge is this: What is the role of the UN Security Council in tackling this devastating mess?
How to tackle extremism across Asian communities
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 18/07/2014
» The tide of religious extremism in the Asian region invites immediate attention. While there has been much recent coverage of extremist groups in Syria and Iraq which aim for an Islamic caliphate in their arc of radicalisation, other forms of religious extremism, including Buddhist extremists, have also emerged in South and Southeast Asia. The latter have attacked, as their target, minorities in their midst, particularly Muslim populations, such as Rohingya and other ethnic or religious groups.
Talks the only option in Syria's ferocious conflict
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 26/03/2014
» The conflict in Syria began in 2011. At the time, it was part and parcel of the “Arab Spring”, the awakening of Arab people in their quest for democracy and repudiation of authoritarian regimes. The conflict snowballed into a fully-fledged non-international armed conflict (civil war) at the beginning of 2012 and has since turned into an increasingly ferocious and fragmented war, with civilians bearing the brunt of the maelstrom.