Rights Beautiful Collection of Professor Saneh Chamarik the members. As for the Senate, each nominated individual must also be passed by secret ballot with more than one half of the total number of Senators (200), also with a proviso that account must be taken as to the participation of women and men.8 This is how the Thai NHRC came into being. The whole idea is to have a kind of Commission that is representative of the society’s viewpoints as broadly as possible. On the whole, it can fairly be said that non-governmental organizations and civil society groups have been carrying quite a considerable weight in the selection stage and thereafter. And this is well reflected in the composition of the current NHRC itself. The task ahead Mention has already been made with regard to the reform spirit of the “People’s Constitution”, even though somewhat against the will of political-cum-business careerists. At stake is the enormous vested interests which are rapidly expanding as the whole country has been undergoing top-down economic development and globalization. In such political predicaments, it is of no surprise that this particular Constitution is generally understood as being created out of distrust of the good old-time style of corrupt money politics, and that the solution is to be found in promoting “people’s politics” as a balancing force. Hence the specific attention attached to the common people’s rights and active participation at this critical juncture of Thai political and economic transformation. At least on paper, this appears to be the case, as clearly stated in its preamble thus: ...the essential substance (of the Constitution) lying in promoting and protecting rights and liberties of the people, providing for public participation in the governance and inspecting the exercise of State power ... 8 National Human Rights Commission Act, B.E. 2542 (1999), Section 8. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THAILAND 73