Thailand low in world peace index

Thailand low in world peace index

The Global Peace Index released Thursday has ranked Thailand in the bottom third of least peaceful countries, and less peaceful than any neighbour except Myanmar.

The Index, an annual report by the Australia-based Vision of Humanity's Institute for Economics and Peace, ranked Thailand No. 126 of 162 countries. Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia all were in the Top 40 of most-peaceful, while Myanmar was 10 places behind Thailand.

The Institute again placed Thailand as the No.8 most terrorist-wracked nation, a controversial listing based almost entirely on violence in the deep South.

Iceland tops the 2014 index as the world's most peaceful country, followed by Denmark, Austria, New Zealand, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Japan, Belgium and Norway.

According to Vision of Humanity, its volunteers measure "22 qualitative and quantitative indicators" to achieve each country's ranking on the Global Peace Index score.

A brief summary said Thailand scored 1.4 out of 5 on militarisation, 2.9 on society and security, and 2.4 on the measurement of "domestic and international conflict". The measurement was made last December during the Bangkok political turmoil.

The country summary for Thailand states, "Uncertainty about the future of Thailand’s Puea Thai government abounds as protesters led by Suthep Thaugsuban demand that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra step down after attempting to grant amnesty to her exiled and controversial brother."

Last year, Thailand was ranked 130th out of 162 countries.

Fighting in Syria saw that country supplant Afghanistan as the world's least peaceful nation, while six months of conflict in South Sudan led to it plummeting 16 places down the index and coming third. Behind it came Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, North Korea and Russia

The UK was ranked the 47th most peaceful nation, one spot above France. The US is ranked 101st.

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