Universal Declaration of Human Rights Voice Phra Paisan Visaro, age 51 Abbot of Wat Pa Sukato Chaiyaphum province “What is important is to create acceptance, understanding and respect for other religions” Phra Paisan Visaro, a 51-year-old Buddhist monk from Wat Pa Sukato, Amphur Gaengkro, in Chaiyaphum province, says he has never directly experienced a violation against his right to freedom of religion nor witnessed any misconduct against Buddhism. However, he believes that Thailand’s hill tribe people have experienced some difficulty in observing their own religion, for instance, through the prohibition of animism (the worship of ancestors and spirits). In addition, he feels that some new sects in Buddhism are not given equal rights of expression. “They should have been given the right to their own religion,” he explains. He praises the work of some non-governmental organizations that have helped the public to better understand that it is not right to convert people to other religions and that hill tribe people cannot be forced to specify on their identity cards that they are ‘Buddhist’. He notes that even though the Constitution guarantees the freedom of religious belief, inequalities do exist. Directly associating Thai nationality with Buddhism, he believes, may discourage the understanding of other religions and may therefore create misconceptions and prejudice, breeding distrust among different religious followers. He quotes a late venerated monk: “Buddhatasa used to say that should one comprehend the core of one’s religion, one shall not deem any other religions as obstacles.” The Buddhist abbot recommends that the Thai government should grant complete freedom to religious beliefs by going beyond the five major religions, i.e. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. “The issue is not merely about religions, but is related to the concept of the nation state. The government usually claims that it has already given religious rights to the fullest. However, when religious beliefs are linked to national identity, this becomes an issue that leads to prejudice and discrimination, turning the minority into second-class citizens,” he explains. He also believes that the actual laws regarding religion are fine but that the problem lies in their practice, interpretation and enforcement. “We cannot determine whether some practices are related to religion, like prohibiting people from wearing sarong when they visit government offices, and the compulsory use of Thai as the official language, for example. Some don’t understand why these issues are related to the violation of religious rights [of the Muslims, for instance]. They see it as cultural issues. But for some practitioners, religion is culture. And these prohibitions mean that their religion is not given due respect.” 80 Dignity and Justice for All of Us He believes education is the key to removing prejudice. “What is important is to create acceptance, understanding and respect for other religions. The government has already guaranteed the freedom of religion, but it also has to encourage genuine respect for all religions, including those outside the mainstream. This is the real challenge.”