Takato Mitsunaga

30 Oct 2014
Following the notorious Gammy case, where a baby born with Down's syndrome to a Thai surrogate mother was abandoned by his biological Australian parents, the Thai junta is to push for a bill to outlaw commercial surrogacy. However, the bill also rules out the rights of singles and LGBT couples to have children by this technology.
22 Oct 2014
Another gender-related bill to be deliberated soon is the Gender Equality bill, which criminalizes discrimination among the sexes and genders. If passed, it will be the first Thai law to contain language mentioning homosexuals. However, gender activists have cried foul, saying that the bill still perpetuates discrimination. 
9 Oct 2014
The parliament appointed by the military junta is expected to pass the Civil Partnership Act, the first law in Thailand to recognize the existence of same-sex couples. However, the bill is widely unacceptable to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists.
2 Oct 2014
It’s always the big issue for people coming out of the closet. If it’s your parents, what do you do?   Noppon Poti, 19, who identifies himself as a gay individual, wrote a short letter and declared his sexuality to his mother. “Without a letter, I’m sure I wasn’t able to come out to my mother,” he said. “Letters can say many things.”   When Areerat Poti, his mother, read the short letter, she was shocked, even though she knew long ago he was gay. But at the same time, she was happy to hear it from him.
23 Sep 2013
Chaiwat Limprasertying, 33, knew he was gay when he was 12 years old, when he found himself different from others. But he is used to being different. He was born deaf. He couldn’t tell anybody about being gay at that time. “It was like being doubly disabled, and I was embarrassed to tell others about my gender identity.”
22 Jun 2013
Since Buddhist teachings are against abortion and most Thais believe in Buddhism, the spread of abortion in Thailand demands an understanding of how Buddhism deals with this. Under Section 301 of the Criminal Code, abortion is illegal in Thailand except (Section 305) when the pregnancy threatens the mother’s health, which has been interpreted to include both physical and mental well-being, or when it is the result of rape, incest or other unlawful sexual contact. The Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights Foundation of Thailand (WHRRF) reports that about 300,000 people undergo abortions each year in Thailand.
29 May 2013
Law students from four universities in three regions spent their semesters observing trials conducted in Thailand’s courts, and concluded that most of the time the trial process does not fulfil legal requirements set by the constitution and human rights principles. 
24 May 2013
Bangkok, May 23 – Amnesty International Thailand called for the abolition of the death penalty in Thailand, one of 21 countries where capital punishment is still in use.  Currently, 706 Thais are under sentence of death, according to the Amnesty International Human Rights Report 2013.
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