Thai NGO & Governmental Roles Human Security and Thai NGO & Governmental Roles By Jane J. Simmons Background glued together by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I, have The end of the Cold War marked come into being through internal the beginning of a new international conflict that eventually brought about world order. Among the changes was foreign intervention. the shift from a bi-polar world of a capitalist West and a communist East to With the fall of the USSR, a world in which the United States is capitalism spread throughout the world the sole superpower. With the collapse and globalisation and interdependency of the Soviet Union, new states rapidly became the new buzzwords. emerged. For example, the glue that had Globalisation made possible the long held Yugoslavia together was its uncovering and potential development fear of the Soviet Union evoking the of new ‘growth areas’. Among these Brezhnev Doctrine should internal strife growth areas is the Greater Mekong become untenable in the eyes of the Sub-region (GMS), a part of which lies Soviets. Consequently, with the in Thailand. This growth area, like the disintegration of the USSR, new states EU, hopes to encourage economic co- within Yugoslavia, a nation that was operation and aims to reduce trade and The author has a Honors Degree in Journalism from Southern Illinois University, USA. She continued her Graduate Study at the University of Leeds, where she specialized in Asian Pacific Studies Ms Simmons is bilingual in English and Thai fluent in Japanese and Mandarin ABAC Journal Vol. 23, No.1 (January - April, 2003), pp. 73 - 100 73 Jane J. Simmons regulatory barriers in search of a issue will be discussed. Although competitive edge. It desires to attract Thailand may have achieved stable and domestic and foreign investment and to rapid economic growth over the past promote exports for the mutual benefit three decades, human security problems of the areas and countries involved abound, as most of the created wealth is (East Asia Economic Unit 1995). concentrated in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR). The concept of human security Moreover, income inequality between emerged in response to global tragedies the urban and rural areas has been and social upheavals, along with the worsening with many if not most rise of globalisation, economic co- people living in the rural areas still operation and growth areas. Recent “lacking basic amenities such as toilet threats of globally organised terrorism facilities, piped water, and electricity” add to the current problems faced by (Girling 1996: 72). In addition to the international community. Although poverty in the rural areas, AIDS is these may not be new problems, prevalent especially in the North and modern communication and Northeastern provinces. Insurgencies transportation have effectively still occur along the Thai- Burmese interconnected the world in ways that border. Compared to other GMS were unimaginable just a century ago. countries, Thailand has a vibrant civil Today, a problem in one country can society with active NGOs, but it was and often does spill over into a only after the Cold War that they neighbouring country and may affect an became more active on issues entire region or even the entire concerning the environment and international community. Countries face poverty alleviation. situations in which even internal and inter-country disputes may now bring Since human security is a relatively about outside intervention. During and new concept, put forth by the United before the Cold War, these disputes Nations for the first time in its United were almost the sole concern of the Nations Development Report in 1994, governmental authority of that there are currently relatively few particular country. Human security calls studies on the topic. One major for international co-operation and difficulty appears to be the lack of a involvement of non-state actors such as precise definition for the term. international organisations and non- Although most scholars agree that governmental organisations (NGOs) in human security is the concern for the dealing with these problems. welfare of human beings, it encompasses a broad range of interests In this paper, human security issues such as education, poverty and in Thailand and how NGO-government healthcare. The scope and vagueness of relations bear on the human security the term presents a difficult challenge in 74 Thai NGO & Governmental Roles trying to develop a workable definition. measuring scheme using various When scholars do try to study human economic concepts (see article under security, the focus tends to be on issues the section ‘Measuring Human associated with Africa, and more Security’ for details). recently, with Afghanistan and Central Asia. East Asian countries other than Although the concept remains the new ASEAN countries (Cambodia, unclear and difficult to measure, the Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar) have author aims to address the questions: received less attention from the can the Thai government really co- international community concerning operate with the NGOs to ensure human human security mainly because they security in Thailand? And, can the Thai have achieved substantial economic NGOs really perform effectively in growth and development in a relatively present day Thailand? To do so, current short span of time. World bank data definitions of human security will be indicates that GDP growth rate given. Some recent developments of averaged at 5.3% and the proportion of civil society and NGO activities in the people living in extreme poverty region will be explored and the dropped from 29% to 23% for the relationship between the Thai State and period of the year 1990 to 1999 in the NGOs will be addressed in terms of East Asia and Pacific region (World problems and challenges in order to Bank 2002). The financial crisis that assess their developments in the region. struck in 1997 resulted in negative growth rates and political turmoil in Perhaps the most difficult problem some East Asian countries. faced while writing this paper was securing reliable information. The Thai The vagueness of the human NGOs, for example, do not put much, if security concept also makes it difficult any, concrete data on its inter-net web for researchers to assess or measure its pages and certainly no financial or effectiveness in policy implementation. budgetary data. Speaking to staff Some scholars such as Gary King and personnel was almost useless. Standard Christopher Murray attempted to deal Thai non-answers and promises to give with poverty as a major challenge for information were given and of course human security in their article, they were never forthcoming. Foreign “Rethinking Human Security”, based NGOs often include budgetary upon their justification that “because information on their web pages. A security is based on the risk of severe friend who is employed as professional deprivation, it depends heavily on the staff at a major embassy was asked concept of poverty.” (King and Murray about NGOs in Thailand. That person 2001: 593) To assess policies regarding had no specific information, but human security in fighting poverty, mentioned that when asking about King and Murray proposed a detailed NGOs among staff who should know ABAC Journal Vol. 23, No.1 (January - April, 2003), pp. 73 - 100 75 Jane J. Simmons only found out that it was a hot topic. A economic, health, food, environmental, report was conducted on NGOs and personal, community, and political. their leadership, organisation, UNDP Report 1994: 24-5). It is operations, effectiveness but that report interesting to note that the UNDP report was classified and not open to the did not specifically include religious public. intolerance and persecution as a human security threat despite the fact that religion plays a major role in the lives Definitions of Human Security of many people and religious clashes are a major problem in many parts of The definition of human security as the world. given in the 1994 United Nations Development Report stated in its report Economic conditions are stressed that human security is intrinsically as a foundation of human security in the linked with human development, UNDP report that states: “all people though they are not identical. Human should have the opportunity to meet development is defined as “a process of their most essential needs and to earn widening the range of people’s choices. their own living.” (UNDP Report 1994: Human security means that people can 24) Poverty, of course, is well exercise these choices safely and freely represented in the economic security – and that they can be relatively category of human security. Poverty can confident that the opportunities they obviously prevent ordinary citizens have today are not totally lost from having access to food (food tomorrow.” (UNDP Report 1994: 23). security), health services (health This is an obscure definition at best. security), and sanitation (environmental security). It also lies at the heart of Four characteristics were used to forced child labour and prostitution describe human security: 1) human (personal security). For this reason, security is a universal concern; 2) the many of the international organisations components of human security are such as the World Bank and the United interdependent; 3) human security is Nations aim to make poverty alleviation easier to ensure through early and eradication one of their primary prevention than later intervention; 4) objectives. human