Page 79 - Rights beautiful : collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik

the members. As for the Senate, each nominated individual must also be
passed by secret ballot with more than one half of the total number of
Senators (200), also with a proviso that account must be taken as to the
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participation of women and men. This is how the Thai NHRC came into
being. The whole idea is to have a kind of Commission that is representative
of the society’s viewpoints as broadly as possible. On the whole, it can fairly
be said that non-governmental organizations and civil society groups have
been carrying quite a considerable weight in the selection stage and
thereafter. And this is well reflected in the composition of the current NHRC
itself.

The task ahead
Mention has already been made with regard to the reform spirit
of the “People’s Constitution”, even though somewhat against the will of
political-cum-business careerists. At stake is the enormous vested interests
which are rapidly expanding as the whole country has been undergoing
top-down economic development and globalization. In such political
predicaments, it is of no surprise that this particular Constitution is
generally understood as being created out of distrust of the good old-time
style of corrupt money politics, and that the solution is to be found in
promoting “people’s politics” as a balancing force. Hence the specific
attention attached to the common people’s rights and active participation
at this critical juncture of Thai political and economic transformation. At
least on paper, this appears to be the case, as clearly stated in its preamble thus:

...the essential substance (of the Constitution) lying in promoting
and protecting rights and liberties of the people, providing for
public participation in the governance and inspecting the exercise
of State power ...

8
National Human Rights Commission Act, B.E. 2542 (1999), Section 8.
OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND 73