Royal Biography

On 20 May 2009, Mahidol University conferred upon HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Criminology, Justice Administration and Society for 2008 academic year in recognition of HRH’s dedicated works in the areas of education, diplomacy, justice process, vocational and social welfare in HRH’s role as UNIFEM’s (now UN Women) Goodwill Ambassador including her campaign to stop violence against children and women that had raised public awareness for Thai people of their responsibility and conscience in caring for children and women.

The following year for two consecutive years, Thammasat University had presented the honorary doctorate degree in Arts on the field of justice administration and honorary doctorate degree in law to HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha in her dedicated works in education, diplomacy, vocational, social works, justice process, the assistance to female inmates and male offenders, probationers under the Kamlangjai Project with the main purpose to encourage, inspire, give opportunities and other necessary welfare to these people so the Thai society can be the society that is ready to give moral support and provide opportunity for those who have made mistake in life to return to have a normal and happy life in society.

Citation in Honor of
HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha
By
Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul
President of the Thammasat University Council
On the Occasion of the Conferment of an Honorary Doctorate Degree
in Liberal Arts in the Field of Administration of Justice
at the Graduating Ceremony for the Academic Year 2009
Friday, 13 August 2010

With Your Royal Highness’s Gracious Permission

I, Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, President of Thammasat University Council, seek Your Royal Highness’ permission to read out the Citation in honor of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha on the occasion of the conferment by Thammasat University Council of an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Liberal Arts in the fi eld of Administration of Justice upon HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha. Ever since HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha received a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Thammasat University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Sukhothai Thammatirat University, she has been interested in issues of law and administration of justice. HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha continued her studies and completed the Master’s and Doctorate Degrees in Law from Cornell University, the United States of America, where she was diligently doing research, analyzing, and gathering information on legal and justice administration matters for HRH’s doctoral thesis titled “Towards Equal Justice: Protection of the Rights of the Accused in the Thai Criminal Justice Process - a Comparison with France and the United States.” Concurrently during her doctorate studies in the United States, HRH was also studying law at the Law Institute of the Bar Association in Thailand and passed the bar exam to became a Barrister-at-law, Thai Bar Association in 2005.

During the study for her master’s and doctorate degrees, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha was on a practical at the Office of the District Attorney of New York, working on arrest and detention procedures of suspects, including the witness inquiry, investigation of evidences, preparation of court fi les and litigation under the United States law, which had greatly increased her knowledge and understanding of criminal law and the justice process. Upon completion of her doctorate study from Cornell University, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha worked as the First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations, in New York City, from 2005-2006. During her tenure at the Permanent Mission, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha performed her diplomatic duties with her leadership ability and dedication. Her ability, intelligence, persistence, manner and her grace have been witnessed by the Thai and foreigners alike. HRH has played an important part to greatly uplift the role and dignity of Thailand to the international community including the bringing the advancement of the Thai multilateral diplomacy in a concrete term as shown in the following samples of HRH’s royal duties as a diplomat as follows: HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha represented Thailand at the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York by being responsible for the work under the Third Committee and the Sixth Committee frameworks on the issues of crime prevention and criminal justice, human rights, refugees and migration. HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha had clearly shown her ability in multilateral diplomacy which was evidenced when Thailand presented a draft resolution to the Third Committee’s Meeting on Follow-up to the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, hosted by Thailand in 2005. HRH participated in the preparation of the Draft and used her diplomatic skills in negotiating together with other delegations for the adoption of the “Bangkok Declaration” which was annexed to the draft resolution.

Apart from her legal and foreign affairs duties, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha also works to help the Thai people who face sufferings and have always been affected by natural disasters through the Friends in Need of “Pa” Foundation. All the time that HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha has worked in the justice work, HRH always has a vision to help the less advantaged people under the justice process all along especially babies and children born to inmates as well as pregnant inmates during the trial and after the conviction, because HRH believes that the children are innocent and should have been assisted so that they would not have been stigmatized with the sin that they do not commit. This was the origin of the Kamlangjai Project which has been in existence since 2006. This Project has gone under much development in raising the level of Thailand under the leadership of Her Royal Highness. HRH has proposed to develop the standard of treatment towards female inmates which has been used since 1955. It became the inception of the Enhancing Lives of Female Inmates project. At the present, it was at the proposal stage to be submitted to the United Nations Crime Congress.

Meeting in Brazil and will take effect in 2010. Recognizing her work in helping female inmates, an international organization dealing with women issues or UNIFEM (now UN Women) had invited HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha to become its Goodwill Ambassador to End Violence against Women and Children in 2009. Subsequently, the campaign in Thailand under HRH’s leadership was able to collect more than 3 million signatures out of 5 million signatures worldwide in supporting the fight to end violence against women and children. Even after the campaign, HRH continues to work in the campaign to end violence against women and children, either the campaign with school children, or outside school group (Thai female youth), the development of concerned law that can be effectively enforced..

It can be said that HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha is both a scholar in law, justice administration, and a multi-professional who is keenly interested in the administration of justice and the justice system. For this reason, HRH has been supporting the improvement of welfare of the inmates in Thailand, especially pregnant inmates and children born to the female inmates. HRH has also advocated policies, strategies and new initiatives in promoting women’s status, supporting and protecting children and youth as well as process of judgment in the children and youth cases.

On the issues of the rights and the specific needs of female inmates which have become the issues under great interest by a large number of countries around the world, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha has initiated the Project “Enhancing Lives of Female Inmates” to drive for a new “United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Off enders” to supplement the 1955 Minimum Standard Rules. This initiative has become the guideline to create a United Nations norm and standard for crime prevention and criminal justice process.

Apart from helping female inmates and women and children who are the victims of violence, HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha also helped male prisoners as well. In 2010, HRH initiated a project to apply His Majesty’s Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy to be used for the prisoners who are about to be released. The pilot project is in the process. HRH believed that some prisoners committed crimes because of their unknowing. They do not know how to conduct their lives. If they were given some knowledge, vocational training and the right attitude based on sufficiency living before their release, they would be equipped with spiritual weapons and wisdom to have a strong mind being able to withstand any social pressure outside without returning to crime.

Thanks to HRH’s persistence in encouraging dignity, perseverance of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha in giving dignity and justice to the inmates, the “Kamlangjai” or “Inspire” Project was initiated with the aim to promote, to inspire, to give the opportunity as well as to provide other necessary welfare to the inmates, the accused and the probationers in Thailand. At the same time, HRH has encouraged the Thai society to become the one that is ready to give inspiration and opportunity to those who have made mistakes to return to be a good people of society and live their lives happily. As a consequence, a drive and the realization of on this matter have been developed in the Thai society.

Considering the work and activities of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha in the fields of law and administration of justice, it is apparent that HRH thoroughly understands the intention and principles of the law and has applied them to her work and activities on law and the administration of justice to bring fairness to all parties equally, which has brought much admiration to the Thai people, especially those who have gone through hardship under the justice process and have been given the rights and justice and truly the quality of life according to the international standard and human rights to live decently according to their human rights.

Consequently, Thammasat University Council at its 4/2010 meeting on 26 April 2010 has then made a unanimous decision to confer upon HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Liberal Arts in the field of Administration of Justice in her honor and as an honor to the University.

May it please Your Royal Highness

Citation in Honor of
Her Royal Highness Bajrakitiyabha
Of
Associate Professor Noranit Setabutr
President of Thammasat University Council
On the Occasion that the Thammasat University has requested
for the Conferment
Of the Honorary Doctorate Degree
In the Graduation Ceremony for 2010 Academic Year
Wednesday, 10 August 2011

With Your Royal Highness’s Gracious Permission

I, Associate Professor Noranit Setabutr, President of the Thammasat University Council, would like to request the permission to give the citation of honor to Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha on the occasion that the Thammasat University Council has requested to grant permission to confer the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Law to HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha.

Her Royal Highness was the fi rst daughter of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. HRH graduated with a Second Class Honors in Law from Thammasat University, a First Class Honors in Political Science from Sukhothai Thammathirat, Barrister at Law, the Thai Bar and a master and doctorate in Law from Cornell University, the United States of America.

After her graduation, HRH worked in the team of Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations, New York and served as Judge Advocate General Officer, Judge Advocate Department, Ministry of Defense. Upon returning to Thailand, HRH worked as the public prosecutor where HRH had worked diligently in faraway regions to provide fairness to people at all levels.

HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha has a vision on the improvement of the justice system and criminology by jointly present a resolution on crime prevention and the promotion of criminal justice to the United Nations General Assembly. HRH has used her capability in exchange view with the United Nations Secretary General and has used her diplomatic skills in negotiating with the ambassadors and diplomats of other foreign nations to drive the draft resolution no. 60/177 to be adopted by the United Nations on 16 December 2005 which was very beneficial to the development of the justice system and criminology in Thailand.

Regarding the justice process, HRH is interested in and shows mercy to female inmates and their babies born in prison by receiving the inspiration from the visit with the female inmates and finds that the female inmates and their babies being attached to them received limited care from the state. Besides, the minimum standard on the treatment of female inmates in prison that has been used worldwide since 1955 is out of date and does not match the social and economic context that have been changed. HRH then initiates the Kamlangjai or INSPiRE Project to look after the development of the female inmates’ quality of life and the babies being attached to the inmates in the prison which has helped these inmates with the opportunity to become better persons by having the Ministry of Justice work on the projects.

HRH wishes to have concerned agencies and knowledgeable people seriously coordinate and share the knowledge. It is evidenced on the great success of the Kamlangjai project by the collaboration from all parties both public and private sectors.

HRH has initiated the project “Enhancing Lives of Female Inmates” or ELFI with the objective to draft a resolution on behalf of Thailand to push for the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Off enders or the Bangkok Rules.

This Project was the fi rst off ensive diplomatic maneuver in the history of the Thai Justice Process, whereas Thailand as a developing country can play a leading role in driving and negotiating the member countries of the United Nations all over the world to agree with these Rules, and the United Nations General Assembly adopted draft resolution of the Bangkok Rules on 21 December 2010.

HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha has also added the honor to Thailand by assuming the role in ending violence against women by accept the appointment as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women or UNIFEM (now UN Women) in the campaign “Say NO to Violence against Women” in Thailand. Seeing the importance of the problem of violence against women that Thailand and all over the world are facing, HRH has invited the three million Thai people to sign in support of ending violence. HRH has signed on one of the postcard as being one of the voices to end violence against women.

HRH has collected and submitted the name to the United Nations. Thailand is then being considered as the first country in the world that support and encourage other people around the world to pay attention to women’s rights and ending the use of violence.

The benefi ts that the Thai people receive from the works of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha are not only the legal and justice process but also HRH’s social work through the royal projects under HRH’s initiatives such as Friends in Need of (Pa) Project, Thai Red Cross Society to support and link the public and private sector together to support one another during hard time by giving occupation and various social works to the Thai people to have a sustainable better quality of life.

HRH’s works not only show to the Thai people but also to the world community. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime or UNODC then presented HRH with its highest Medal of Recognition for her contributions to the development of the justice process especially on her important role in helping female inmates under the Kamlangjai project, the campaign to end violence against women of United Nations Development Fund for Women or UNIFEM (now UN Women), and the development of life and rights of female inmates in the prison.

HRH also receives the President’s Award presented by International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and UNIFEM (now UN Women) Award as being a Goodwill Ambassador and HRH’s leading role in ending the violence against women.

HRH’s works, abilities, diligence and her genius in law, justice process together with her intuition on diplomacy, vocational and social works that HRH has been practicing are most beneficial to Thai people.

The Thammasat University’s Council from its meeting no. 4/2011 on 25 April 2011 has unanimously resolved to present HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha the honorary doctorate degree in law to be a remembrance to remind the Thai people of HRH’s excellent ability and to celebrate her honor to be publicly known, in addition to the honor and the highest blessing for Thammasat University and the legal field.

May it please Your Royal Highness