Page 15 - Rights beautiful : collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

promotion is concerned. But they objectively reflect the people’s aspirations
and claims that need be seriously taken into account in society and
international community.
All this community talk is in obvious contradiction with the
traditional individualism of the historical West, where it is strictly in
individual capacity that counts as legitimate human rights. But then that
tradition is of itself in contradiction with reality of life right from its
inception. That is, reality of social life and co-existence with freedom,
justice and peace. After all, human rights and dignity are not something
incidental, but inherent in human nature itself. That is to say, people just
cannot be expected to tolerate oppression and exploitation forever, but
may oppose and fight to get their legitimate rights and place in society.
And community is an integral part of human livelihood and identity no
matter in what form: family, group, association, locality, nation, and
what not. It is even more so in the case of resource-based communities
and networks which are characteristic in our Southeast Asia. That is why
the power- that- be must needs learn how to accommodate moral claims
and demands for change. It does not at all mean that individualism as
the milestone of human rights is without its validity. But it is just one
side of the coin, and, more often than not, puts creative social life and
relationships in jeopardy, as we are all witnessing today.

Looking ahead
What I have said all along is certainly not entirely my own creation.
In fact, if you may recall, it principally follows the spirit of what my
Thai colleagues and myself have learned as a new comer from both the
2nd workshop in Manila and the Strasbourg meeting last year. This 3 rd
Workshop, I am happy to say, seems to reassure me of what I grasp from
the previous dialogues. I am deeply thankful for all the valuable contributions
in this forum. In this concluding presentation, I simply try to recollect and
elaborate more from our Thai experiences and lessons. The major part of

OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND 9