Human Rights and Wrongs

For all kinds of problems and mischief foreigners get involved in when travelling or residng in Nakhon Ratchasima, Isaan and Northeast Thailand..
Postbox Korat-Forum
Korat-Isaan-Forum-Gast

Human Rights and Wrongs

Ungelesener Beitragvon Postbox Korat-Forum » Di Mai 15, 2007 4:27 pm

Human Rights and Wrongs

Racism is any form of bigotry, prejudice, stereotyping or other socially divisive practice whose primary basis is the concept of race or colour of a man’s or woman’s skin and it is sad to hear so much of it, from not only, but mainly expat’s in Thailand.

There is racism in Thailand, just as anywhere, in some form or another, but just not the same kind that is endemic in the Western World. There is probably no country in the world which consists of different peoples that is free of the problem. Yet Thailand, on the whole is probably one of the few countries in Asia, and probably on earth that has very good race relations at present. Of course ethnic and class relations is another totally different matter and Thailand is less than perfect, but black/ asian men say they find it easier to get into a cab in Bangkok than in New York.

White myths, black omissions: the historical origins of racism in Britain stems from the white supremacy belief and the need for a white colonial civilizing mission. The notion that colonial peoples were savages, without religion, law, or language and were unable to rule themselves prevailed. There were exceptions. The Anti –slavery Society in the UK, partly the American Civil War and individuals in Britain, including William Blake the poet and artist.

In Britain black people were omitted from its historical record from the 1840’s to 1940’s. The origins of racism stem from the view of Britishness, and it is hardly surprising that given the propaganda of the Governments of those days that as soon as WW11 ended, workers brought here from the colonies, to aid the war effort were asked immediately, when they were going home? Or those that returned home to find themselves jobless, were not welcome when they returned to try to their luck in the Mother Country. So we had the “colour bar” in Britain espoused in popular culture and in the schools. Racism took many forms, including the anti Irish sentiment.

We should not be surprised of the forms racism took. The Royal Commission on Population which reported in 1949 said immigrants to Britain should be “of good human stock but not prevented by their religion or race from intermarrying with the host population and becoming merged in it”

The passing of the Race Relations Act in 1976 was the beginning of the end, but had no power to prosecute until the Act was amended in 2002.

Given the above years of struggle it is little surprise that ignorance and racism was manifest in the education system and still exists today.

Blacks and Asians entered Britain in large numbers from the 1950’s onwards, suffered the social, cultural, political and economic effects of this racism, which had its origins in the 1900C onwards. Attitudes to “race” have changed but sadly some still hang on to the belief’s of over 60 years ago. For all the progress, though, ethnic minority Briton’s often find themselves at a disadvantage compared with their white neighbours in their everyday lives. Many are more likely to be expelled from school, jailed, unemployed, poorly paid, living in sub-standard housing and victims of crime

Research shows that if found guilty blacks and Asians receive longer sentences than whites. The proportion of people jailed who come from an ethnic minority community is 20% yet they make up 8% of the population.

Notions of British superiority in the world should now be dead.

The achievements of Black and Asian peoples in Britain and the World are recognized.

92.1 % of Britain’s are white. Only the remaining 7.9% belong to other ethnic groups. And that information comes from the National Census. You can see it yourself on National Statistics online at http://www.statistics.gov.uk

Racial abuse is offensive and uncalled for. So if you are a racist, better to keep your opinions to yourself, lest the Thai Immigration officials decide to refuse residence of “aliens” on the grounds of being an undesirable. Yes expats are “aliens” here. I checked the dictionary definition.
---

Thanks to the author of this article who mailed it in for publication, the author is known to the admin.

Zurück zu „Farang News and Affairs“



Wer ist online?

Mitglieder in diesem Forum: 0 Mitglieder und 3 Gäste