Muslims need the UN, but does Thailand?
“Ensuring basic freedoms is the only way forward in Thailand,” writes Luc Stevens, UN resident coordinator in Thailand. It must be assumed this UN policy applies not only to Thailand, but the whole world.
Such a policy, which is to be commended, must also apply to people trapped in an ideology where misogyny, female genital mutilation, persecution of homosexuals, hand amputation as a penalty for theft and fatal stoning for alleged adultery are enshrined in law.
Do these people, who can also be lawfully killed for apostasy, not have a right to “basic freedoms”?
After acknowledging Thailand’s economic and social progress, Stevens continues: “Yet, underlying this growth has been a constant challenge of inequality.”
He also states, “Together we work toward elimination of gender discrimination and the stigma by other marginalised gender and sexual minorities.”
Thailand is generally well advanced on these issues, and the country should not be considered a priority concern for the UN. Instead the UN would do better to apply its international influence to eliminating these practices where they are enforced as law in the name of a religion.
Or is that a no-go area?
Helping Muslims to enjoy freedom should be the UN’s urgent first priority, not policing a civilised little country like Thailand.
In Thailand we do not need UN advice or interference.
JC Wilcox
