Thai businesses abroad need better control

[webfact]

Thai businesses abroad need better control

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

THAILAND’S draft National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP) needs to have stronger mechanisms to oversee the operations of Thai investors overseas and ensure human rights protection in all aspects.

 

This was highlighted by the Community Resource Centre Foundation (CRCF) at a discussion led by civil society organisations (CSO) at the United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum in Geneva last week. It said that human rights protection should be included in the NAP so the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s scope can be extended beyond the country’s borders and it can monitor Thai businesses overseas to ensure good practices and prevent rights violations. 

 

Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, CRCF coordinator, said that since human rights defenders and local communities are being increasingly intimidated by both large and small corporations conducting harmful projects, a strict and inclusive NAP will be an effective legal tool to deal with these problems. “We have found that every problematic project has a poor public participation process that does not truly respect the rights of the people or even considers people’s views,” Sor Rattanamanee said.

 

“Also there are no legal requirements for mother companies to take responsibility for their subsidiaries’ mistakes, even though it is the mother company that invests in the harmful projects.” 

 

Hence, she said, it is very important for the NAP to include all of CSO’s suggestions, as it will be a tool for the country to take care of harmful investments and ensure that Thai businesses follow good practices for the next five years. For instance, she said, Thailand’s NHRC should have had the jurisdiction to examine the environmentally damaging Laos Don Sahong hydropower dam project, which despite having Malaysian investors, cannot be controlled by the Malaysian rights organisation due to a lack of authority overseas. 

 

Sor Rattanamanee also called on the Rights and Liberties Protection Department to publicise the NAP draft so changes can be suggested before it is submitted to the Cabinet. 

 

Wora Suk, Mekong campaign coordinator of Extraterritorial Obligation Watch Coalition, also agreed that a mechanism to monitor the practices of Thai investors overseas was necessary. 

 

“The practices need to be observed and documented in terms of compliance with environmental and social standards, as well as in terms of human rights, and assessment reports of the project should be released in the public domain. There should also be a mechanism that listens to concerns and provides compensation and remedies to affected communities,” Wora said. 

 

Som Phromros, director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said his department will address the recommendations and concerns raised by CSOs. 

 

“The issue of extraterritorial obligations is our top priority, which will be included in the NAP. We are also working to ensure that other aspects of human rights protection from business operations, such as the justice fund, are swiftly implemented,” Som said. He added that the NAP draft will be finalised and submitted to the Cabinet within this month. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359788

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-04

[champers]

Protecting human rights from business operations is good. Trampling over human rights for saying you disagree with the unelected military government is bad. The top brass have brass necks.

 

[bangkokfrog]

"The issue of extraterritorial obligations is our top priority..." Wonderful irony here! Ignore the human rights abuses at home and claim to be concerned about the overseas activities of Thai businesses. Or is there a more sinister suggestion in the post title: "Thai businesses abroad need better control". By whom and for what purpose?

[overherebc]

 

"The issue of extraterritorial obligations is our top priority..." Wonderful irony here! Ignore the human rights abuses at home and claim to be concerned about the overseas activities of Thai businesses. Or is there a more sinister suggestion in the post title: "Thai businesses abroad need better control". By whom and for what purpose?

Begins with a T and ends with an X????

[mikebell]

 

Begins with a T and ends with an X????

How many letters?  I love these word games!

[overherebc]

 

How many letters?  I love these word games!

Between 2 and 4.

[mehrdad]

Bahrain ? Brunei? South Korea? 

... or ??? 

[HalfLight]

9 hours ago, champers said:

Protecting human rights from business operations is good. Trampling over human rights for saying you disagree with the unelected military government is bad. The top brass have brass necks.

 

 

It's for foreign consumption only, to make an anticipated election victory seem less odious.

 

 

[Redline]

Let’s get the house in order here

[DrTuner]

Oh I agree. They should be controlled to limited occupations only, have a 1-to-4 ratio of Thai-Farang, allowed to own only 49% and generally screwed over without mercy. Reciprocity, no?

[CanuckThai]

I'm trying to figure out how Thailand would set an example, for any implemented environmental or social practices.  Almost nothing is practiced or enforced here.  How could one believe Thailand would act responsibly and without some form of corruption, in an international playing field?

[chama]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

“We have found that every problematic project has a poor public participation process that does not truly respect the rights of the people or even considers people’s views,” Sor Rattanamanee said.

Seriously....from a Thai?

[Fex Bluse]

4 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Oh I agree. They should be controlled to limited occupations only, have a 1-to-4 ratio of Thai-Farang, allowed to own only 49% and generally screwed over without mercy. Reciprocity, no?

Adding, they should be forced to hire only Farang who are dumb as dirt who secretly despise them and who will plot from day one to steal from them.

 

Whenever the Farang do something idiotic, the Thai will be told that it's Farang culture and cannot be discussed or addressed. 

 

They will also have to report to immigration every weekend at the an immigration facility at leatmst 2 hours away. 

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, overherebc said:

Between 2 and 4.

I can only get TAX; can't think of a 4 letter one.

[Fex Bluse]

13 hours ago, CanuckThai said:

I'm trying to figure out how Thailand would set an example, for any implemented environmental or social practices.  Almost nothing is practiced or enforced here.  How could one believe Thailand would act responsibly and without some form of corruption, in an international playing field?

I'm sure VERY few people outside Thais in Thailand take Thais, as a general population, seriously. Thailand has earned its poor reputation and they do nothing to help other than talk. 

 

It's like when we were little kids and told a lie about the pretty girl we kissed. Everyone in school knew it didn't happen, but after telling the first ridiculous lie, it became easier for us to make outrageous claims.

 

This is Thailand and Thai culture. Entirely detached from reality.