Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik and domination both within and without, and still remains very much so. Unfortunately, most if not all Asian nations, willy-nilly, subject themselves to it, despite their declared freedom and independence after long years of struggles and hardships. The point here is that the hoped-for positive regionalism promoting mutual trust and co-existence can hardly, if at all, be brought about under the aegis of growth ideology. This is not to go against growth per se. It is growth for its own sake and for domination that must needs be done away with. Here, the issue of common people’s rights and liberties comes into the picture. Mind you, again, it is to be not just so-called participatory rights handed down from above. It is inherent in the right to livelihood and self-reliance as well as self-development. How this aspect of basic human rights is to be translated into practice in matter of natural resource management, is something that earnestly needs close attention in this particular forum. Last, but not least, is the question of national sovereignty that significantly stands in the path towards positive regionalism as here suggested. The principle and practice of national sovereignty is now some three centuries old. It did serve its purpose as international institution in establishing peace and security against widespread anarchy in Europe. And this then was extended to all other parts of the world in the course of colonial expansion. No doubt it has been a great help in the course of nation building and security in the past century. That is to be seen as part of historical process of human and social development. But then along the line, state security with its inherent absolutism turns against human rights and security. This is of course one most delicate and sensitive point to be carefully worked out. At any rate, one thing is clear: that is, the absolutism of national sovereignty needs to be closely scrutinized so that political reform could appropriately be carried out, especially in the sphere of human rights and liberties as well as the right to livelihood and self-development of the grass-root people and communities. It should not be difficult to see that this line of thought and action would have a very 18 OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND