Bring fringe groups into society: activist
Instead of sticking to the problematic notions of "Thainess" and "state security", society should learn how to cope with the word "humanity" to give marginalised migrant workers "room to be visible" and become part of Thai society, human rights advocate Gothom Arya said yesterday.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the International Council on Human Rights Policy, Gothom said that marginalised groups in Thailand were becoming "endangered species" because the notion of "Thainess" was not encompassing, especially when it comes to migrant workers and ethnic minorities. "Thainess should be defined in a more inclusive way so that people can be comfortable to call themselves Thai, be they ethnic Malays in the deep South or those still speaking Khmer. Thai society should think of humanism before Thainess. We are but a member of a world community." Somchai Homlaor, chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, said one of the biggest impediments to nurturing a culture of human rights in Thailand was the culture of impunity. "How to fight against impunity is one of the biggest problems in Thailand." In a related issue, asked by a foreign participant about the rape law, Gothom, who is also a member of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly, said the proposed amendment to the penal code, which will criminalise sexual intercourse with minors aged 13 to 15, may not be approved in time by the assembly. "It may not be a big deal because time is running out," said Gothom, who merely described it as "sexual intercourse too early". The existing law states that if an offender sexually molests a child over 13 years but not over 15, with her (or his) consent, the court would allow them to marry and the offender would not be punished. Gothom's remark outraged leading feminist Virada Somswasdi of Chang Mai University. "If the girl is under 15, it's rape … she is in no position to say this is the right man for her," she said. One of the questions asked by a female student of Thammasat University's faculty of political science to former senator Kraisak Chonhavan was about how human rights activities can be conducted under the current junta, when it was the junta itself that was infringing on people's rights. "I have been through 11 coups now," Kraisak said. "It has become a very, very bad culture in Thailand, but we have to be aware that democracy was almost destroyed under Thaksin Shinawatra." Subhatra Bhumiprabhas, Pravit Rojanaphruk The Nation
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