Article 18 He believes prejudice is a normal phenomenon in religion. “We can’t understand anything without prejudice; born into this world, we are indoctrinated by the world in which we live and the way we are brought up. We each have our own perception,” he says, “which may need correction…Prejudice is a consequence, not a problem. Some types of prejudice may be related to religion, such as the Islamic negative attitude towards dogs and pigs. We must realize that we all have prejudice, and not just think that others have it but we don’t.” He stresses that it is equally important to ask whether it is possible to protect religious rights without government rules and regulations. He thinks that the government should not interfere too deeply in the life of its citizens. The government should perform its duties in providing services and basic rights, but should not take too much control. Keeping a watchful eye on citizens does not always constitute protecting their rights, the professor argues. On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, he finds that the crucial point to ponder is the role of religion in today’s world, wherein, “religions play an increasingly important role in socio-political affairs. It is important that we re-evaluate the importance of religion in issues like international relations, for example. International relations are no longer confined to political and economic dimensions, but are closely related to culture and religious rights.” He points out that “the United Nations should celebrate this 60th anniversary by focusing not only on the issues of protection or violation, but also on religion as a tool for problem solving in society.” Our Voices are Heard in Thailand 83