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UN asked to back Thai regional pus
- Subject: UN asked to back Thai regional pus
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 20:09:00
Subject: UN asked to back Thai regional push on rights
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Local & Politics
UN asked to back Thai
regional push on rights
THAILAND yesterday asked the United
Nations Commission for Human Rights to
support its efforts to train other countries in
the region on the issue of human rights and
reiterated its support for the world body's
activities.
The message has been conveyed to Mary
Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, through the organisation's
regional representative Justice Bhagwati,
Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand
Paribatra said.
''Thailand is ready to support the United
Nations' activities in promotion of human
rights and is ready to provide training support
to other countries in the region,''
Sukhumbhand said.
However, Thailand is not aiming to become
the regional centre but is more for supporting
the promotion of the issue, he added.
Speaking after closing the three-day
workshop on ''Developing National Plans of
Action for the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights in the Asia and Pacific Region'',
Sukhumbhand stressed the importance of
education on human rights to the people.
While it was important to note that human
rights is universal, one must also take note of
the differences in societies and culture which
cannot bring uniformity to the issue, he said.
Abuses tend to stem from the fact that most
people do not know their rights, said Charivat
Santaputra, deputy director-general of the
Foreign Ministry's Department of International
Organisations.
It is hoped the workshop will spur other
countries to take steps in developing a
national action plan, as was done in the
Philippines, Indonesia and Australia, Bhagwati
said in his closing speech.
''Human rights were not born of man, but they
were born with man -- hence, the vital
importance of promoting and protecting
human rights,'' Bhagwati said.
A sufficient national action plan must take into
consideration social and economic conditions,
as well as cultural uniqueness, he said.
The three-day discussion focused on the
process of developing an action plan, and the
substantive issue that could be included in the
plan.
''On the basis of the needs assessment, a
draft National Plan of Action could be
prepared and public response invited in
diverse ways before the draft is finalised,''
Bhagwati said.
''The final plan must have credibility and
legitimacy and the people should feel it is
their programme,'' he said.
Thailand is in the process of developing its
own national plan but critics fear that it may
not be fully independent.
Nations that violate these principles should be
sanctioned, he said.
BY RITA PATIYASEVI
The Nation