[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Thailand backs Asean commission o
- Subject: Thailand backs Asean commission o
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 19:38:00
Politics
Thailand backs Asean
commission on rights
THAILAND has expressed strong support
for setting up the ''Asean Human Rights
Commission'', which is consistent with the
country's belief in promoting human rights,
Foreign Ministry's spokesman Kobsak
Chutikul said Tuesday.
Thailand would like to see a permanent
regional mechanism on human rights to be
established as soon as possible to
promote regional cooperation on human
rights, which is consistent with the
objectives of the Asean Vision 2020,
Kobsak said.
The issue was discussed during a meeting
of senior Asean officials in the Philippines
last week. Permanent secretary for foreign
affairs Saroj Chavanaviraj represented
Thailand at the meeting.
Kobsak quoted Saroj as telling the meeting
that Thailand supported the establishment
of the Asean Human Rights Commission
as it was in line with its own political
development and its belief in promoting
greater participation and involvement of
grass-roots representatives of civil society
in aspects of Asean affairs.
Thailand has already set up a national
commission on human rights, Kobsak said.
The setting up of the commission was
endorsed at the Asean ministerial meeting
in Singapore in July 1993. A working group
on human rights was then set up
comprising representatives of Asean
governments, parliaments and academia.
Kobsak quoted Saroj as telling the Manila
meeting that Foreign Minister Surin
Pitsuwan was willing to meet the working
group at the annual Asean meeting to be
held in the Philippines this July.
Thailand is the only country that has
expressed its willingness to meet the group
and show its support for the establishment
of the commission, Kobsak said.
The working group is expected to present a
paper entitled ''Synopsis of a Policy
Initiative for the Establishment of an Asean
Human Rights Mechanism''. The paper will
encourage the ministers to promote and
support human-rights activities, sponsor a
regional conference for Asean to exchange
views on the setting up of the commission
and foster more programmes for the
promotion of the rights of children, women
and other vulnerable groups.
The Nation