The human rights situation and development of democracy in Thailand : a post-May, 1992, study

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is: (1)To study the assumption of an implicit link between human rights and democracy : (2)To conduct post-May 1992, empirical research on the human rights situation in Thailand : (3)To conduct a survey on Thai perceptions of human rights : and (4)To relate research and survey findings back to the assumption about an implicit link between human rights and democracy. Research and survey findings indicate that Thai articulations of their perceptions of democracy and human rights are less developed than in Western democracies. Just as Thai ideas, expectations and perceptions about democracy differ significantly in comparison with the apparent institutionalization of democratic processes, the human rights survey results indicate that people want justice and fairness, but still expect limitations on their freedoms beyond what is usually accepted in democracies. While “ human rights” are , for the Thai outside the traditional value and social systems of hierarchy and expected reciprocity, at the same time their usefulness is not completely denied particularly their utility in keeping abuses of power authoritarian and unfair tendencies in Thai society in check, far removed from the concept of human rights in Western democracies as individual entitlements derived from human needs and capacities (Beetham &Boyle, 1995: 54)