Journal of Asia Social Science Studies

Public participation in the 1997-2017 constitution- making process of Thailand

2024-10-13T08:13:38+07:00

This research aims to study the public participation in the drafting process of the three most recent constitutions of Thailand by using qualitative research methods and secondary document analysis. The research found that the drafting of the Thai constitution, under the principle of drafting the constitution, must allow the public to participate in the process of drafting the constitution as much as possible in order to express the will of the people under self-governance. However, in the drafting of the 1997 Constitution, 2007 Constitution, and 2017 Constitution of Thailand, it was found that the public participated in drafting the constitution at a very low level. Only the 1997 Constitution was initiated by the political elite with the support of the civil society sector. While the 2007 and 2017 Constitutions, the initiative and role in drafting the constitution were clearly under the influence of the coup group. Although the drafting of all three constitutions involved two-way communication between the public and the organization that drafted the constitution, the results of the communication were not used to improve the constitution. The highest level of participation, which was the referendum method, was flawed and incomplete, resulting in limited participation in drafting the entire constitution. Meanwhile, the public participation in drafting the 2007 and 2017 Constitutions was only symbolic participation. All of these resulted in the problem of constitutional legitimacy. Therefore, there should be an amendment to the future constitution drafting process that should allow the public to participate widely, both directly and indirectly, in the drafting process.

Human rights violations in Myanmar: The problem of reality and facts from documents

2024-12-02T15:08:17+07:00

The serious human rights violations in Myanmar, especially against ethnic minorities, have been a matter of debate for decades between the Myanmar government and the victims, especially the acts against the Rohingya, which worsened in 2017 and continued to occur in conflict-torn areas such as Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states, and in response to anti-coup protests. Based on documentary evidence and reports from decades of violence and ongoing violations by civil society inside and outside the country, efforts have been made to track and record human rights violations in order to hold the state accountable and tell the truth. However, the state has refused to accept the truth from documents or reports, citing the redundancy of the multi-layered documentation system, over reporting, and citing the domestic legal system to protect the state’s actions. Meanwhile, international fact-finding surveys clearly show that human rights violations have occurred. The key issue is not beliefs or documents, but how all parties will accept and address human rights issues, given the potential limitations of Myanmar’s multi-layered documentation efforts for accountability and truth-telling after the 2021 coup.

The problem of economic inequality in India

2024-12-02T15:21:25+07:00

Economic inequality in India has become a growing problem over the past decades. Despite India’s remarkable economic growth across various dimensions, the benefits of this growth have not been equally distributed. Inequality has profound effects on the country’s economy, society and politics, giving the rich and middle class better economic opportunities while the rural and tribal populations continue to face shortages of basic opportunities and resources such as education, healthcare and quality jobs. Reducing inequality in India requires a concerted effort from all sectors – government, business and the general public – to achieve long-term social and economic equality. Sustainable economic development and infrastructure reforms can help the country achieve its goal of narrowing the economic gap and creating a more equitable and sustainable society. Creating rural economic opportunities and improving healthcare services to make them accessible to all groups of people, with a social structure that focuses on equal income distribution and access to basic services.