Without publicity, human rights brouhaha cannot breathe

By ignoring the demands of two US congressmen and international human rights NGOs for him to take up their issues with his counterpart during his visit to the Philippines, US President Donald Trump may have helped uncover the most effective way of handling the oftentimes ambitious wishes of these advocates.

The correct response is to deprive them of the oxygen of publicity. Without an explicit response to their demand, these groups have nowhere to go and no fodder to use for their next press statement. Without publicity, they cannot raise donations for their operations. In time, they may realize that they have no choice but to shut up.