The vast complexities and unique characteristics of each culture create both a beautiful canvas and an inevitable environment for disagreement. While it may seem that encounters between different cultures that can produce dispute would only be harmful, a negative outcome is not conclusive. Differing traditions and customs provide opportunities to expand one’s perspective, enabling the ability to approach a subject from multiple angles. This skill forms a central part of global engagement which this blog aims to explore. It is not without its challenges, as addressed in Beyond Eurocentrism, by Farish A. Noor, as part of the collaborative publication, Dealing with Human Rights: Asian and Western Views on the Value of Human Rights. Noor states, “the different cultures of the world today are conscious of their cross-cultural similarities as well as the fundamental differences that have developed as a result of their different social histories and traditions” [1]. Indeed, many of the modern conflicts (from territorial disputes to disappearing indigenous languages) stem from persisting tensions difficult to understand without their historical contexts. Noor goes on to write, the “concern to protect and promote fundamental human liberties and dignity exists in all discourses of the people themselves” [2].
The definitions and understandings surrounding values vary among cultures – the use of one viewpoint as the basis for judgement of another culture is referred to as ethnocentrism. Noor defines ethnocentrism as “… the tendency of individuals and cultures to view themselves as well as the environment around them from the perspective of their own culture, values, and beliefs” [3]. When one viewpoint is only considered and asserted as correct, it can be perceived as superior. According to Noor, “the term eurocentrism denotes the emerging perception within the European cultural, historical experience of European identity as good and all other forms as less good or less advanced” [4]. It is this perspective that is reflected in colonialist efforts – the drive to bring “civility” and “peace” among those that are labeled “primitive” and “uncivilized”.
If we then are encouraged to engage in a multicultural world, how do we interact in a way that allows for communication and understanding across cultures? With the dangers ethnocentrism and eurocentrism hold, how might individuals move beyond theses ways of thinking? Noor suggests “the task that confronts all of us today … is to try to accommodate the many different perceptions and interpretations of the things we all value” [5]. If we attempt to engage with the other, and if we try to appreciate the different cultural understandings of human rights and liberties, we will at least have taken the first step beyond the politics of essentialism and ethnocentrism [6].
“Thai students flash three-finger salute during an anti-government protest calling for the education reforms at the Education Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, 05 September 2020. Hundreds of secondary students under the name of ‘Bad Students’ from 50 schools stage a rally calling for the education reforms including stop student harassing and cancel all the outdated regulations. Thailand’s politics is intensified by the ongoing series of anti-government protests led by students against the royalist elite and the military-backed government calling for political and monarchy reforms. EPA-EFE/RUNGROJ YONGRIT.”
As I have referenced in previous posts, Thailand has faced criticism from several human rights organizations. In their overview of the country, Amnesty International lists heavy restrictions on freedom of expression, violent treatment towards “… pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders”, and “proposed legislation on torture and enforced disappearance did not comply with Thailand’s international human rights obligations” [7]. In another article, the organization stated, “Amnesty International has had a longstanding presence in Thailand and is committed to continuing to promote and protect human rights for people in the country despite calls for it to be expelled…” [8]. I touched on several of the motivations behind the protests regarding the question of Thai identity (see post here). Human Rights Watch also criticized the government’s crackdown on protestors and restrictions of free speech during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the organization’s 2022 report, “in July, Prime Minister Prayut issued emergency regulation number 29, empowering the authorities to censor online expression and prosecute individuals responsible for communications that may “instigate fear” or distort information about the pandemic”, although this regulation was later revoked for its constitutional violation [9]. The government has also brought back “…lèse-majesté (insulting the monarchy) prosecutions … [-] authorities have since charged at least 151 people, including 12 children, under Article 112 of the penal code in relation to various activities at democracy protests or comments on social media” [10]. The International Federation for Human Rights features several reports on the arbitrary detention of protestors and conditions of holding cells. Their report on women human rights defenders (WHRD’s), submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), highlights the increasing violence against these protesters who “… continue to be subjected to attacks, violence, intimidation, threats, and other acts of harassment by both state and non-state actors for their human rights work and the legitimate exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly” [11].
Human rights groups and organizations such as the UN have created documents that provide criteria for the protection of human rights. International organizations attempt to create guidelines and hold those who violate these laws accountable. Consider the definitions of eurocentrism and ethnocentrism: in what ways are these reflected in the values or perspectives of human rights that these groups are trying to protect? How might international intervention become problematic? How does ethnocentrism emerge in Eastern societies, like Thailand, and how are they portrayed by Western nations? The book in which Noor’s argument was presented also features debate over these questions and how perspective influences an individual’s view of human rights violation – for example, the debate over strict rules regarding the wearing of a hijab in Muslim nations (also an example of western versus eastern perspective). As for Thailand, the nation continues to face condemnation for human rights abuses from the community of human rights organizations, although there is a push for more definitive action from the larger international community.
Article written by Alexa Rose
Endnotes:
[1] Author(s) of Chapter. “Beyond Eurocentrism.” Dealing with Human Rights: Asian and Western Views on the Value of Human Rights, edited by Martha Meijers, Kumarian Press, 2001, pp 49-73.
[2] Ibid., p. 50.
[3] Ibid., p. 51.
[4] Ibid., p. 51.
[5] Ibid., p. 70.
[6] Ibid., p. 70.
[7] “Thailand Archives.” Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-east-asia-and-the-pacific/thailand/report-thailand/.
[8] “Thailand: Amnesty Committed to Continuing Its Work despite Calls for Expulsion.” Amnesty International, 21 Feb. 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/campaign-against-amnesty-international-thailand/.
[9] “World Report 2022: Rights Trends in Thailand.” Human Rights Watch, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/thailand.
[10] Ibid.
[11] “Women Human Rights Defenders and Prison Conditions for Women in Thailand.” International Federation for Human Rights, 10 Mar. 2022, https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/thailand/women-human-rights-defenders-and-prison-conditions-for-women-in.
Image Source – Protestors:
EPA-EFE/RUNGROJ YONGRIT. “Student Protestors in Bangkok, Thailand.” Thailand: Protect Fundamental Freedoms in the Upcoming Protests, 9 Nov. 2020, https://aseanmp.org/2020/11/09/thailand-protect-fundamental-freedoms/. Accessed 2022.
Note: Caption quoted and embedded in image link. Access to article hyperlinked.
