Human rights researcher/advocate to discuss Thailand’s shifting role in Southeast Asia

Human rights researcher/advocate to discuss Thailand’s shifting role in Southeast Asia Wednesday, March 7, 2018 Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center will host Benjamin Zawacki, a human rights researcher and advocate, to discuss his book Thailand: Shifting Ground between the US and a Rising China on March 20 at 11:45 a.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall located on North Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Zawacki’s book, published by the University of Chicago Press last year, explores Thailand\u27s evolving foreign relations and the geo-political implications in Southeast Asia. After many post-World War II years as a key strategic ally of the United States, Thailand has begun a sharp pivot toward China, according to Zawacki. He will describe how, in his view, consistent with U.S. policy drift since the turn of the century and Thailand\u27s deepening adoption of China\u27s model of “authoritarian capitalism,” the country is increasingly within the orbit of Beijing. Zawacki will opine as to the factors and forces behind this shift, as well as what it means for a new administration in Washington. Joining him in a discussion around these issues is UGA History Department Associate Professor Ari D. Levine, who specializes in the cultural and intellectual history of early modern China. A former policy adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Zawacki has served as a visiting fellow in Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program, as a term member on the Council on Foreign Relations and as an Amnesty International Southeast Asia researcher. This event is co-sponsored by the International Law Society and the UGA Department of History. Please register at http://law.uga.edu/registration-thailand-shifting-ground-between-us-and-rising-china. ### Writer: Heidi Murphy, 706-583-5487, hmurphy@uga.edu Contact: Christine Keller, 706-542-4351, cmkeller@uga.edu UGA School of Law Established in 1859, the School of Law is consistently regarded as one of the nation’s top law schools. The school is proud of its longstanding commitment to preparing the next generation of legal leaders and ensuring a strong return on investment for its three degrees – the Juris Doctor, the Master of Laws and the Master in the Study of Law. The school’s accomplished faculty includes nationally and internationally renowned scholars, and its more than 10,000 living graduates are leading figures in law, business and public service throughout the world. Connecting students to these thought leaders and opportunities to serve state and society is central to the school’s mission. For more information, see www.law.uga.edu