FM invites candidate for Asean human rights panel

The application is opened for all Thai nationals who are interested in and keen on human right matters as well as have experience in human right works, said the ministry's Director of Asean Affairs Department Vitavas Srivihok.

The ministry has set up 12-member selection committee chaired by former permanent secretary Witthaya Vejjajiva to select the candidates, he said.

The ministry opened for the application from September 1 to 16 and the selection committee would make the final decision to pick up the representative for the Asean human right body by the end of this month, he said.

The Asean expected its human right commission could open inaugurate meeting in late October around the same time as the leader of the group gathered for the annual summit, Vitavas said.

The Asean would officially announce an establishment of the human right commission during the summit on October 23, he said.

Members of the Asean are free to pick up their respective representatives to sit in the human right commission. Some countries might have open selections like Thailand while some members might pick up government officials to sit in the commission, he said.

The Asean commissioners have three year term in the position and could be renewed for another term.

The Asean human right commission was widely criticized of lacking of power to protect basic of people in the region, it emphasized too much on right promotion, rather than protection.