US should explain its harsh rights report on Thailand, govt says

[captspectre]

Here we go again.

I was kind of shocked to see that list and Thailand included in it.

lets see now, attitude adjustment camps, threatening to execute journalist for not asking "right questions, locking up student demonstrators, taking over national TV for nightly sermons, other than that, nothing to worry about.

[LomSak27]

included US-sponsored terror torture camps in the South of Thailand.

Really. Any facts on that m313 or just talking euro again?

While you are at it why not check on those camps with the graves they discovered. The ones tied to the Rohingya refugees and the Thai fishing fleets slave workers and give us a report. Chances are they're run by Walmart employees.

Knock yourself out

[godden]

He said people can travel anywhere in Thailand with out fear unless your in a mini bus.

[oneday]

But this is coming from a country which also tramples on the rights of its own citizens, invades other countries on the flimsiest of excuses, detains citizens of other countries without trial and those persons only defenders are appointed by the the US military. Some of those people have been arrested in countries other than the USA and many of them have been awaiting trial for years.

It regularly sends drones to kill people in other countries and worries little if anything about "collateral damage" to that countries citizens.

Civilians in the USA are regularly killed by the police forces within the USA.

It supports freedom of speech but when it comes to Wikileaks it wants to prosecute to the nth degree those people that expose the truth.

It supports dictatorial regimes in some parts of the world.

When you live in a glass house it is not always a good idea to throw stones.

And here you have a very simple minded person twisting the facts to suit his or her own point of view and 57 people who liked his post...also simple minds.

I bet they are all from wonderfully perfect countries, but none will say where they are from.

[cumgranosalum]

hmmmm, does the report mention that more Americans have been killed by their own police - in America - than soldiers killed in Iraq and Afganistan since they invaded those country to restore law and order. (or was it because of weapons of mass destruction ... pfffft)

any country that is criticized by the great satan must be doing things right. the auld yanks simply do not like goverments that can not be bought. simple as

Welcome to planet earth... As an outsider we like to hear your views on the human race

[Strangebrew]

Not to justify there actions but to open some eyes how would have dealt with the people who were water boarded to get information to save countless innocent lives? Serve them tea and crumpettes? Or is it the you feel beheading people just? In War innocent people die a sad but true fact. If you never fought in combat then you can never understand.

[collingwood]

Can go anywhere freedom, peace, happiness. Except you can not even follow the day to day news and advents from back home because some moron in the ministry of got no Idea. Blocks certain articles, like Kangaroo terrorises locals, can't be reading that...the list goes on.

[cumgranosalum]

I think the most worrying part is that the Thai authorities rather than admit there's a problem and suggest looking into it and correcting it, have decided basically to deny it. No-one on this post has suggested that human rights aren't abused in Thailand - some have suggested its worse elsewhere - but that isn't the point - there are human rights abuses in Thailand and the inference that we draw from the authority's response is that they think there aren't any or least they aren't very serious....

[cumgranosalum]

But this is coming from a country which also tramples on the rights of its own citizens, invades other countries on the flimsiest of excuses, detains citizens of other countries without trial and those persons only defenders are appointed by the the US military. Some of those people have been arrested in countries other than the USA and many of them have been awaiting trial for years.

It regularly sends drones to kill people in other countries and worries little if anything about "collateral damage" to that countries citizens.

Civilians in the USA are regularly killed by the police forces within the USA.

It supports freedom of speech but when it comes to Wikileaks it wants to prosecute to the nth degree those people that expose the truth.

It supports dictatorial regimes in some parts of the world.

When you live in a glass house it is not always a good idea to throw stones.

All of those things are sort of subjectively true. But note also that it is due to the work of other American institutions, both within and outside of the government, that you know this. Because of the broad American committment to fairness and reason, we are free to discuss such things and would be even within the United States itself. As a result real information, however unattractive it may be, is usually available. Concerned citizens like billd766, informed by this information, may agitate for change in either policy or leadership without fear of retribution from on high, and like-minded officials are largely free to join them. The ballot box ensures that in the long term they must be listened to.

Democratic systems are not perfect. Consider that well and truly proven. But they are self-correcting and capable of autonomous improvement. Which is a huge improvement over the alternative.

Princeton University disagrees with you. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longer-democracy

Be accurate - a report released by a dept in Princetown is warning that US is not functioning as a democracy. That as ever doesn't mitigate the actions in Thailand. However you must also be well aware that those who criticise the regime in Thailand face all sorts of sanctions and even the research for a report like the Princetown one would be frowned upon by the current regime , probably never published. ..and the ramifications on the careers of those involved would be serious.

The people of Thailand have interference on every level of their life either by not being able to vote, speak freely or eve hold public debates on maters.

Laws like about political content are frequently breached in Thailand. These laws have no such equivalent law in US or any of the EU countries even those with monarchs.

[Si Thea01]

Gee, I don't know. I thought the report was pretty clear, concise and directly to the point. What's so hard about understanding that?

But is it available in Thai? I am unaware as to whether or not the members of the Junta can read ........................another language?

คุณสามารถพูดอ่านเขียนและเข้าใจภาษาไทย หรือคือกาต้มน้ำหม้อเรียกสีดำเข้าใจไหม How's your Thai?

[cumgranosalum]

Gee, I don't know. I thought the report was pretty clear, concise and directly to the point. What's so hard about understanding that?

But is it available in Thai? I am unaware as to whether or not the members of the Junta can read ........................another language?

คุณสามารถพูดอ่านเขียนและเข้าใจภาษาไทย หรือคือกาต้มน้ำหม้อเรียกสีดำเข้าใจไหม How's your Thai?

All governments have translation depts - it is extremely unlikely that they don't have a good translation.

however why are we back to calling kettles black again? I don't understand the point behind the Thai statement. ca you explain?

[BigBadGeordie]

Gee, I don't know. I thought the report was pretty clear, concise and directly to the point. What's so hard about understanding that?

But is it available in Thai? I am unaware as to whether or not the members of the Junta can read ........................another language?

คุณสามารถพูดอ่านเขียนและเข้าใจภาษาไทย หรือคือกาต้มน้ำหม้อเรียกสีดำเข้าใจไหม How's your Thai?

Actually I can read, write and understand Thai to a reasonable level.

However, I do not understand how this is relevant to the topic, as I am not running the country nor am I asking for an explanation of the report etc.

I also have a sense of humour, a little warped, but it is still fuctioning non the less.

[sawadee1947]

there is obviously nothing to explain, even a soldier's brain will understand, but on the other hand..............if you sit in a glasshouse..........

[cumgranosalum]

there is obviously nothing to explain, even a soldier's brain will understand, but on the other hand..............if you sit in a glasshouse..........

i think that the "glasshouse" cliche has been dealt with?

[selftaopath]

"The assessment in its human rights report that Thailand has seriously curbed the freedom of people is its own point of view towards the situation in many countries. However the US should say what the basis is and the sources of the facts that led to the assumption."

When they are in that state of denial what hope has Thailand

Isn't "state of denial" the Thai way? It is evident in EVERY walk of life in Lack of Sanctions/LOS.

[selftaopath]

US should explain its harsh rights report on Thailand, govt says

Which part on this list does the government not understand?

Answer: The part written/spoken in English.

[joshstiles]

what can ignorance understand?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Now peace has returned to the Kingdom and people can travel to any place in the country without fear, he said.

Obviously, those Thai government types haven't taken a public mini-van, tour bus or Thai train lately...

Anyone traveling in any of those in Thailand ought to be living in constant fear....

If it isn't a human right to be able to travel without getting slaughtered on the roadways, it ought to be.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Not to justify there actions but to open some eyes how would have dealt with the people who were water boarded to get information to save countless innocent lives? Serve them tea and crumpettes? Or is it the you feel beheading people just? In War innocent people die a sad but true fact. If you never fought in combat then you can never understand.

The U.S. certainly isn't perfect. And in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, my government did a lot of questionable/bad things, many of which were eventually stopped/curbed by the change of president via national election, court rulings, lawsuits etc.

It's worth noting that those kinds of democratic processes and safeguards are just the things that are absent/missing from Thailand in the wake of the coup. No elections, no checks on the executive branch of government, little to no judicial oversight, etc etc.

Say what you will about the U.S., but at least it has those kinds of safeguards and they generally have a way of remedying abuses over time. Thailand doesn't, and that's why it's on the bottom rung of the U.S. human rights report.

That, and, in the case of the litany of human rights failings called out in the State Department's report on Thailand, undeniably, all of them are pretty evidently and undeniably true.

[spidermike007]

"However the US should say what the basis is and the sources of the facts that led to the assumption."

assumption... assumption.... assumption....

"Now peace has returned to the Kingdom and people can travel to any place in the country without fear, he said."

All righty then - let's travel to Yala, Narathiwat or Patthani then, for a bombastic spa resort holiday...

Yes, on a daily basis he reveals how completely out of touch he is. The restoration of peace and happiness? Could he have possibly picked a more lame motto? Sounds like something Karl Marx or Fidel Castro would have come up with. They sure are restoring peace and happiness in the south. His solutions to those problems are quite impressive. Best if he hires a very talented PR person, and filters his words and speeches through them. Oh wait a minute, that would be an admission of the lack of personal perfection and superiority.

[Muirton]

I feel much safer here than I do in the States. The most a cop wants from me here is kanom money. In the US they wanna shoot me for being the wrong color. In fact this is the finest I've seen Thailand in the 15 years I've been here. 1000 times better than 2010 when thouse red shirt terrorists were burning stuff down and killing people.

"I feel much safer here than I do in the States". This is an attribute of fascist and communist police states, personal safety if you keep your mouth shut.

[ameadi]

The US are very very far from perfection. What about Saudi Arabia,Egypt. ...

[sawadee1947]

there is obviously nothing to explain, even a soldier's brain will understand, but on the other hand..............if you sit in a glasshouse..........

i think that the "glasshouse" cliche has been dealt with?

LOL: but you know....it's Latin: so it has to be cum grano salis...smile don't mind

[Strangebrew]

But the fact remains in the US you have a right to speak out against there actions with out fear, and if they fail to heed your voice you can vote them out of office or demand they be impeached. Also if guilty of crimes tried and convicted to serve jail time not moved to inactive post. Even a non citizen is afforded the right of free speech they just can't vote but can buy property and land.

[connda]

But this is coming from a country which also tramples on the rights of its own citizens, invades other countries on the flimsiest of excuses, detains citizens of other countries without trial and those persons only defenders are appointed by the the US military. Some of those people have been arrested in countries other than the USA and many of them have been awaiting trial for years.

It regularly sends drones to kill people in other countries and worries little if anything about "collateral damage" to that countries citizens.

Civilians in the USA are regularly killed by the police forces within the USA.

It supports freedom of speech but when it comes to Wikileaks it wants to prosecute to the nth degree those people that expose the truth.

It supports dictatorial regimes in some parts of the world.

When you live in a glass house it is not always a good idea to throw stones.

"a country which also tramples on the rights of its own citizens". Pray specify lest this is read as yet another rant from you.

Humm, somebody has their blinders on and their 'reality goggles' set to full 'rose-colored'. Why try to explain the color 'yellow' to someone who only can see 'orange', if they can see at all.

[bamnutsak]

US should explain its harsh rights report on Thailand, govt says

But not this week as we are too busy locking students up, trying them in a military court. And we're still busy dealing with the slave trade.

We'll be free next week to discuss these outlandish accusations.

[Muirton]

hmmmm, does the report mention that more Americans have been killed by their own police - in America - than soldiers killed in Iraq and Afganistan since they invaded those country to restore law and order. (or was it because of weapons of mass destruction ... pfffft)

any country that is criticized by the great satan must be doing things right. the auld yanks simply do not like goverments that can not be bought. simple as

Welcome to planet earth... As an outsider we like to hear your views on the human race

I can't even begin to guess what he bakes for breakfast.

[connda]

I don't understand why one should be offended by a judgement from the US regarding human rights.

The US are the most global human rights violators and we can't count the amount of assassinations, civil unrest, coups, illegal wars, torture and more and more committed by the US the past 50 years, and there's no sign of a slow down.

So being called human rights violator by the US is like being called a pervert by a serial child rapist... a drop of water on my duck's feather would have more impact.

"and there's no sign of a slow down." Since you know this, please share the evidence with the world.

Humm, somebody has their blinders on and their 'reality goggles' set to full 'blue-colored'. Why try to explain the color 'yellow' to someone who only can see 'green', if they can see at all.

[Muirton]

But this is coming from a country which also tramples on the rights of its own citizens, invades other countries on the flimsiest of excuses, detains citizens of other countries without trial and those persons only defenders are appointed by the the US military. Some of those people have been arrested in countries other than the USA and many of them have been awaiting trial for years.

It regularly sends drones to kill people in other countries and worries little if anything about "collateral damage" to that countries citizens.

Civilians in the USA are regularly killed by the police forces within the USA.

It supports freedom of speech but when it comes to Wikileaks it wants to prosecute to the nth degree those people that expose the truth.

It supports dictatorial regimes in some parts of the world.

When you live in a glass house it is not always a good idea to throw stones.

All of those things are sort of subjectively true. But note also that it is due to the work of other American institutions, both within and outside of the government, that you know this. Because of the broad American committment to fairness and reason, we are free to discuss such things and would be even within the United States itself. As a result real information, however unattractive it may be, is usually available. Concerned citizens like billd766, informed by this information, may agitate for change in either policy or leadership without fear of retribution from on high, and like-minded officials are largely free to join them. The ballot box ensures that in the long term they must be listened to.

Democratic systems are not perfect. Consider that well and truly proven. But they are self-correcting and capable of autonomous improvement. Which is a huge improvement over the alternative.

Princeton University disagrees with you. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longer-democracy

Princeton University had nothing officially to do with it. Two researchers there do not a university make.

[Yunla]

Does this mean the US will now stop supporting slave sweatshops around the world, and selling gigantic amounts of slave-made goods in all the biggest retail chains across the US. I hope so. This report is window-dressing and ignores the complex and lucrative involvement by the US in violations of human rights worldwide. I totally support serious reports on human-rights, but it can never be serious if it chooses to ignore the interwoven nature of these issues globally.