Page 29 - Rights beautiful : collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

Community Rights in Global

Perspective*

-Saneh Chamarik-

Introduction
Let me first of all express my deep gratitude for the honour of
addressing this highly important III MMSEA conference. It is indeed
a rare opportunity for myself to learn and be associated with the
distinguished participants here who are in the know, actually a great
deal more so than I. In this regard, may I also convey my everlasting
thanks to all the Thai friends and colleagues as well as Dr. David Thomas
for their kind support and collaboration in bringing me up into this realm
of creative down-to-earth learning. That was a most refreshing experience,
still vivid in my mind with a kind of intellectual uplifting for me as student
of politics. I am glad they also take an active part in this forum right from
the beginning with Chiangmai conferences some seven years ago.
One only hopes all these persistent and continuing efforts will eventually
bear fruits in fulfilling the common people’s aspiration to be free to live
their own lives with dignity.
Looking over the scheduled agendas, it is obvious that practically
everything is well taken care of. On my part and with all due respect, I
only wish in my small way to add something to enlarge the scope of our
thought. It is not about the body of knowledge and expertise as such
which I shall have nothing to contribute to, but concerning the ways and
means of social learning on the local people’s part. I am sure this is the

* Keynote delivered at the III MMSEA (Montane Mainland Southeast Asia) Conference,
Yunnan, 25 – 28 August 2002.

OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND 23