Showing 31 - 40 of 55
Grappling with human trafficking, forced labour
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 16/09/2021
» Thailand's apparent failure to deal with the issue of human trafficking over recent months has resulted in a downgrade of its performance in the 2021 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) annual report, issued by the US in July.
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?
The crafting of Asean's 'protector' role
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 04/08/2021
» The Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was established just over a decade ago to promote and protect human rights in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Yet, its activities, to date, have been more to do with promotion activities, such as workshops, rather than protection measures, such as to receive complaints and to provide remedies.
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.
UN SDG goals boost access to justice
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 29/03/2021
» How do we counter massive pollution on land, at sea and in the air? How do we ensure justice for human rights defenders who are attacked when defending the environment? How do we promote more inclusion and participation in decision-making processes?
Solidarity needed to halt crisis
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 16/03/2021
» The desperate situation in Myanmar calls for concerted international solidarity to counter the Feb 1 coup d'etat and its heinous consequences. To date, scores of people have been killed by junta forces, while several thousands have been detained. The crisis compounds two disquieting situations of a longstanding and multi-faceted nature in the country -- the mistreatment of the Rohingya population (a Muslim community) and the decades-long civil war between the authorities and different ethnic groups.
Covid-19 curbs must heed rights
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 26/05/2020
» One of the key developments globally and in Thailand, in regard to measures taken to counter the spread of Covid-19, is the ascendancy of executive power and its implications for human rights.
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".
Halting child trafficking remains tricky
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 19/11/2018
» One of the positive developments in Thailand in recent years has been the governmental commitment to eradicate human trafficking. It has been complemented by a spate of court cases against human traffickers, with some evident successes. Yet, there remains a challenging situation, particularly where children are the victims, compounded by the complexity of a transfrontier situation and the opacity of the vested interests behind the sex market.
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".