Human Rights as a Foundation for Equity, Fairness and Resilience in Thailand

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Human Rights as a Foundation for Equity, Fairness and Resilience in Thailand
United Nations Country Team in Thailand on the Occasion of Human Rights Day 2014

Every year on December 10, people around the world celebrate Human Rights Day. It is a day where we reflect together on the achievements made and the challenges remaining to ensure everyone is entitled to their inherent human rights regardless of their social status, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

Such reflection is timely for Thailand and while the country has made progress in promoting human rights in many areas, challenges are mounting, following over a year of turmoil.

In Thailand, successive governments have ratified and supported a number of international and regional human rights agreements and declarations, signifying the country's commitment to protect, respect and fulfill human rights for all. This year, the country reported on its implementation of the Convention against Torture, and has prepared another review under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In 2015, Thailand will chair the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Several commitments have transformed into concrete results in many areas, notably health care and education. Since the introduction of the universal health care scheme in 2001, 99.9% of Thai nationals have access to health care which is provided as a public good for all, financed publicly and equitably. Moreover, recognizing that the universal health care is available to a limited proportion of migrant workers, the government has taken initiatives to extend it to migrant workers and their families. Thailand has also made impressive progress in fighting AIDS, and it is firmly on the path to ending the epidemic by 2030. The country has become the first in Asia to provide HIV treatment irrespective of the stage of the disease. In terms of education, Thailand has achieved the Millennium Development Goal's education targets on universal primary education and gender equality. More girls than in the past are obtaining secondary and tertiary education. These achievements in health care and education bring economic gains to the country, increase food security and livelihood options for many.

At the same time, whilst we recognise these achievements, there remain challenges to human rights promotion and protection in Thailand. The current lack of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, fair trial and other political rights is worrying. These continuing restrictions hamper Thai society from resolving longer term obstacles to advancement that are related to social, economic, and geographic inequalities, and discriminatory practices.

Violence against women and children, both boys and girls, is a serious violation of human rights. According to studies by government and international agencies, it is estimated that more than a hundred thousand women and girls are abused each year in Thailand. Yet, these figures may be underreported because victims do not always come forward. Our experiences show that in order to effectively prevent violence against women and children, it is important that existing policies and laws need to be adequately implemented to protect victims and to punish perpetrators.

Ethnic minorities remain particularly vulnerable in Thailand. Despite being born in Thailand, many amongst them are labelled "stateless" or "rootless" due to lack of legal documentation, and thus excluded from accessing some of the services and opportunities available to Thai citizens. Although, in the last decade, successive governments have developed a commendable strategy to address these issues relating to ethnic minorities, still half a million people remain excluded based on their ethnic identity.

Because of Thailand's robust economy and aging population, the country attracts and embraces migrant workers. However, migrant workers often face challenges in having their rights protected whilst in Thailand. Threats and abuses they face during various stages of the migration process leave them vulnerable, and even susceptible to human trafficking. Under international human rights law, all human beings, including migrant workers, regardless of their legal status, must be free from exploitation and mistreatment, and assured that their rights are protected and respected. This can only be achieved through coordinated efforts with their countries of origin, social partners, and the justice, health, education, and labour sectors—a solution that Thailand has begun to adopt.

So where does this leave us? Thailand is at a critical juncture. The country has made much progress in development, but these achievements can only be sustained when there is a strong support for human rights. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, we all have "our collective responsibility to promote and protect the rights and dignity of all people everywhere." Indeed, while States are often the main duty-bearers, human rights cannot be achieved without people's active engagement in asserting and claiming their rights. As Thailand transits back to democracy, the reform process must ensure public participation from all sectors of society; at the same time, Thai citizens must be empowered to take active roles in decision-making processes that affect their lives. At the UN, we are committed in continuing our support to both the Royal Thai Government and its people in achieving an equal, fair and resilient society.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Human-Rights-as-a-Foundation-for-Equity-Fairness-a-30249338.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-08

[ExPratt]

I don't believe their health cares system , if you can call it that, Education and infrastructure are anywhere near as good as they should be. To be fair its third world. While they are throwing Billions away to accommodate Chinese Freight demands they should be spending it on the above.

Not got much to say on the "Human rights day", I could but it may end in a suspension or ban , so you can guess my thoughts

[Tatsujin]

An especially apt article considering they have blocked the Human Right's Watch website.

[chainarong]

Thailand's version of Human rights is only when it suits them, as in quite a few area's, Thailand lacks the fortitude to move forward , the same old jargon is issued for all international obligations, the administrations over the decades have formulated a literacy of media responses that can only be described a underachievement to boring , time to come up the speed , lift your game and be apart of the real world, not one that stops at Thailand's boarders

[bapoboy]

The difference between Thailand and the nanny state europe, australia, new zealand and us, it is that we have freedom here in thailand (personal liberty), I've never felt more free, so it says the where it is best to stay if you want to live one normal life UNLESS MAN LIKE POLITICIANS BOARD YOUR LIFE, when you live in westen so you do not have personal responsibility except that you can wear what you want (so far), increasingly we hear western poltikere chat, everyone needs to stop smoking , drink alcohol based and one must be healthy.

"for yoursafety" Usually Means SO WE CAN CONTROL YOU

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Every year on December 10, people around the world celebrate Human Rights Day

Will be a very a quiet and dull celbration here I think. What to celebrate?

[ExPratt]

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The difference between Thailand and the nanny state europe, australia, new zealand and us, it is that we have freedom here in thailand (personal liberty), I've never felt more free, so it says the where it is best to stay if you want to live one normal life UNLESS MAN LIKE POLITICIANS BOARD YOUR LIFE, when you live in westen so you do not have personal responsibility except that you can wear what you want (so far), increasingly we hear western poltikere chat, everyone needs to stop smoking , drink alcohol based and one must be healthy.

"for yoursafety" Usually Means SO WE CAN CONTROL YOU

I know what you mean, going back to the UK can be a bit strange , its like everyone is treated as though they are 5. I worked overseas for quite a while and went back to the UK to do 6 months work I was told by Inland Revenue that I owed them a couple of hundred grand. When I pointed out I hadn't been in the country for 7 years they said "I should have filled a form in letting them know I was leaving the UK", They got nothing. Total Freedom is not what its cracked up to be though , freedom to be homeless , freedom to starve to death, freedom to have no medical treatment , freedom to die in poverty. The Nanny states are a bit over the top and do inhibit your freedom to an extent, but imo there must be some safety nets in society

[connda]

Migrant workers? How about foreign men who marry Thai national women? We are not afforded the same path to citizenship nor the same immigration policies as foreign women who marry Thai national men. As a foreign man with a Thai wife, my yearly 'extension based on marriage' affords me all the rights and privileges as a Thai national convicted of a crime and then placed on probation. But foreign women married to Thai men: Green-lighted for citizenship. Show me the "Equity, Fairness and Resilience" in basic Human Rights issues here in Thailand as applied to foreign men fully supporting their Thai families: immediate and extended?

Edited December 8, 2014 by connda

[piersbeckett]

Human Rights is, I believe, the way to go in the interests of freedom, justice, equality and ending the stranglehold of dogmatic religions which recruit using indoctrination and fear but it's a bit like John Lennon's Imagine - to make it meaningfully effectual, states would have to implement it, applying it to more serious issues for example, indoctrination, than Gay marriage and prisoners' right to vote.

Therein lies the rub; it is in the end another 'belief' and not everyone will believe in it. Because Human Rights is not like smoking where one could argue that some people who give it up for one day might continue to abstain, I don't believe one day a year will make any difference - International Human Rights Police with 'teeth' maybe but where's the political will for that? .

As I said, I believe in it & it's a great banner and, incidentally lucrative business for lawyers but it's more of a hope, a dream, but, again, having said that, the more it's promoted and the closer we get to it being applied to all, the better, IMHO.

[outsider]

Thailand. Human rights. Both in the same sentence? Hmm...

[Dogmatix]

Human rights. Thailand? 555?

[maidee]

wasn't their website censored / blocked by this lovely governement?