Besides, with such a joint "prosperity" goal, there is no place for troublesome issues such as human rights and freedom of expression on the meeting agenda. Similar indifference could be seen at a meeting when Thai leaders met their Myanmar counterparts. The indifference on the part of the Thai leaders over suppression of human rights is no surprise to me. In Thailand too, human rights violations, especially limitations on freedom of expression, are a big problem. But the leaders should know that we cannot ignore such significant issues as human rights and freedom of expression if we want quality growth and genuine prosperity in the long run.

Source: Bangkok Post September 07, 2017 23:03 UTC