“Thailand
and the United
States: Two Centuries of
Partnership”
By H.E. Dr.
Surakiart Sathirathai,
Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
At
the Asia Society, Washington,
D.C. Center
Monday
20 September 2004, 12.00 hours
----------------------------------------
Chairman
Daly,
Mr.
Snyder,
Excellencies,
Distinguished
Guests,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I wish to thank Mr. Sean Murphy for
his
kind introduction.
I am grateful to the Asia Society Washington DC Center for
inviting me to give this luncheon talk. Since I’ll be leaving
for New York for the UN General Assembly this evening, today
is the only working day I have in Washington
DC, so my schedule
here is quite cramped. Nonetheless, because this is the
Asia Society, which counts among its members many good friends
of Thailand,
no matter how tight my schedule might be, I would not miss
it for anything. As our two nations and peoples have always
enjoyed a special friendship of exceptional warmth and durability,
it is a great pleasure to have this opportunity to speak
on “Thailand
and the United
States: Two Centuries of
Partnership”.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
In 1833, 51 years
after Bangkok became the
new capital of Thailand or Siam
at the time, Thailand,
under the exemplary leadership, wisdom and farsightedness
of King Nang Klao, Rama III, entered into the Treaty of
Amity and Commerce with the United States and became the first Asian nation
ever to have done so with the United
States.
We were then, as we are now, proud to be your first
and oldest treaty ally in Asia.
Today, that treaty stands to testify the long and continuing
strong bond in every aspect between our two nations. Today,
that treaty stands to be the source of the rich history
of cooperation between
our two
countries. Today, that treaty has withstood the test
of time, taking our unique partnership from strength to
strength. As the world – and the context for our
relationship – undergoes a period of sweeping change, I
believe it is an opportune time to examine this partnership
in its totality: its strong roots of the past 171 years,
where it stands today, and what it can be tomorrow.
Following the
conclusion of the 1833 Treaty, the interactions between
our two nations have flourished. We benefited from countless
Americans who traveled to the Kingdom of Siam and made many valuable contributions,
be they American missionaries or advisors to the Siamese Court. Faced
with the European colonialism and expansionism of the nineteenth
century, King Chulalongkorn
made use of many of His Majesty’s American advisors
to formulate Thailand’s
foreign policy toward the major European powers to keep
Siam’s independence.
In the inter-war
years, an American gentleman by the name of Dr. Francis
B. Sayre, who happened to be President
Woodrow Wilson’s son-in-law, came to serve as advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
during the 1920s. He played a particularly important
role in revising Siam’s
many unequal treaties previously
concluded with
the Europeans. So distinguished was his service that the Thai monarch conferred him
with the highly prestigious title of Phraya Kalayanamaitree,
or the Lord of Great Friendship. Today, a street in Bangkok
next to Saranrom
Palace, for more
than a century the seat of the Thai Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, is named after him, in fond commemoration of this
dear American friend of Thailand.
Thailand also had many an occasion to stand
with the United
States. When Thailand
was plunged into the Second World War as the result of the Japanese occupation,
the
Thai
Legation’s Minister in Washington
DC refused to carry out instructions
to declare war
on the
United States. Instead, he sought partnership
with
the US, setting up
the
Free Thai Movement as
a resistance movement against the Japanese incursion. The
movement collaborated closely with its counterpart in the
United Kingdom,
worked with the US Office of
Strategic Services (OSS) to
infiltrate into Thailand, and operated an underground
resistance
with
the tacit approval of senior members of the Thai Government. The movement provided invaluable assistance
and intelligence to the Allies, and became a big credit to the country when the war was over.
In the post-war years,
our relationship continued to strengthen.
Given our parallel security interests, it seemed
only natural for Thailand and the United States to work together to
secure peace and security in the region and beyond. Bangkok
became
home to the Southeast Asian Treaty Organisation or SEATO, formed in 1954 as a result of the
Southeast Asia Collective Defence Treaty or the Manila Pact. In the Cold War years, the United States provided Thailand with much needed military support and
assistance against Communist insurgence while Thailand made contribution toward resolving
many regional threats and armed conflicts such as in the
Korean and Vietnam Wars. Although that chapter of history
is completely behind us, our cooperation on security remains
an important element of our relationship. From the annual
Cobra Gold joint military exercise of the past 23 years
to the recent designation by President Bush of Thailand as a Major Non-NATO Ally,
our two countries share common values and aspirations for
peace and security in the region.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
As international terrorism became
a global threat, as nations
united to
condemn acts of terrorism in all
forms, as
innocent people, one after another fell victims of the heinous
acts of terror, most recently in Indonesia and Russia, the
US-Thai partnership on the security front
remains as strong as ever. We join
all nations to combat terrorism in all forms. We just cannot afford
to be complacent or let down our guards as long as terrorism continues indiscriminately to threaten our
peoples and the values we stand for.
Thailand has a strong record in our contribution
toward the security of our country and region. We have amended
domestic
laws and regulations to cope with terrorist activities. We are signatory to five of the United
Nations conventions against terrorism. We are committed to becoming party
to the remaining seven and hope to be able to do so by the
beginning of the new year.
Our cooperation in intelligence
sharing led to the capture of
one of the most wanted terrorists in the region. Recently, our military personnel in various fields have provided
humanitarian assistance both in Afghanistan
and in Iraq.
The spread of
international terrorism has threatened the flow of international
trade and economic activities and hindered the process of
economic growth and the betterment of our peoples’ living
standards.
To make sure that
our trade and our economic well-being will not be deterred
by terrorism, Thailand has also
been working with the United
States within the framework of APEC on other related
initiatives.
First was the Secure Trade in the Asia Pacific Region (the so-called STAR
initiative).
In this regard, last year, Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge and myself signed the
Declaration of Principles on the Container Security Initiative
(CSI), which is designed to protect trade
between our seaports by using radiation to scan containers
for dangerous cargo. Another bilateral project between us was launched by
Secretary Powell and I in Bangkok,
called BEST, the Bangkok/Laem Chabang Efficient and Secure Trade (BEST). This entails satellite tracking of
containers from Thailand’s
port of Laem
Chabang to Seattle. Both these systems should enhance
confidence in the security of our trade.
To secure the
safety of travelers and the tourism industry, last March,
during his visit to Thailand,
Secretary Ridge and I witnessed the signing of the Memorandum
of Intent for Provision of a Terrorist Interdiction Program
Border Control System. Under this Memorandum,
the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation
System, known in short as PISCES, could be used
to screen people passing through Thailand’s ports of entry, so that we may be able to detect suspected
terrorists.
Furthermore, we
are also working with Australia
on the Advanced Passenger Information/Processing: the API/APP) pathfinder
initiative, whereby
passenger data is pre-screened prior to embarkation. These measures are part and parcel of the
STAR initiative in securing trade in the APEC region. Our
cooperation also includes efforts to prevent Man-Portable Air Defence Systems, or MANPADs, from being used by terrorists against international
aviation.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The US and Thailand are also
working closely together to fight against non-traditional
security issues. Such threats as the illicit trade in narcotic
drugs, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS are severely undermining
the security and well-being of our peoples. Thailand and the United States have been working closely
together in these areas. We have made progress, but here
again, we cannot afford complacency.
On HIV/AIDS, Thailand has been
cited as a successful leader in the fight against this disease.
We hosted the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok
last July, with almost 30,000 participants from all over
the world. The conference concluded on a hopeful note for
millions of people living with AIDS in every corner of the
world: the hope that they will not be neglected, and that
nations like Thailand and the US, which have worked jointly
on many HIV/AIDS projects, will pull together to win the
battle against this disease.
On August 6, this year, Prime Minister
Thaksin of Thailand
declared our total war and national campaign against all
forms of human trafficking. He condemned human trafficking
in legal terminology, not only as malum prohibitum,
but also as malum in se. In other words, it is wrong
not only because it is unlawful but because it is evil in
itself. He pledged to tighten up every part of
the machinery of the government to win this battle as we
have done so successfully in our total war against drugs.
Last Thursday, in the Annual Presidential Determinations of Major Illicit
Drug Producing and Drug-Transit Countries, the US President removed Thailand from the list of major drug-transit
or major illicit drug-producing countries. This is the first
time in many years that any country has been removed from
such a list. In President Bush’s annual report to Congress
last Thursday, it is indicated that Thailand’s opium
poppy cultivation is well below the levels specified in
the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. No heroin processing
laboratories have been found in Thailand
for several years. Thailand
is no longer a significant direct source of illicit narcotic
or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances significantly
affecting the United States.
Nor is it a country through which such drugs or substances
are transported.
Clearly,
the total war against drugs by the present Thai Government,
declared just less than 3 years ago with resolute determination
to win, has been a triumph. We are gratified that our efforts
have been recognized. But Thailand is also continuing the fight
against drugs because the battle may have been won, but
the war may not be over. It is a war that continues
and that
will need the support and
cooperation of friends such as the United States, particularly in controlling
the trade on precursor chemicals for methamphetamines.
And
now with no less determination, we will march on to win
the battle against human trafficking and on September 30,
the Thai Prime Minister will launch another national campaign
of no less importance: our war against corruption.
On
these accounts, we look to our friends, especially the United States
for support and cooperation. Indeed, we have established the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA)
in Bangkok to train law enforcement
officers from Thailand
and other countries in the region to enhance national efforts
and co-operative endeavours against drug trafficking and
other transnational crimes in Southeast
Asia. But we look further for greater partnership
with you.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thailand’s commitment to global
peace and stability is unceasing and unbounded. As our partnerships in the above areas
reflect, the Kingdom is playing an increasing active role
in the region and beyond.
The reason for this is clear and simple.
A more secure and stable Asia in general and Southeast
Asia in particular will make us stronger and more reliable
partners with the rest of the world, including the United States.
Thailand’s strategic
location is well recognized. We are at the crossroads between
China and India, the two countries expected
to become economic superpowers in the next half century.
We are also engaging them in innovative cooperation frameworks
that should support their development as responsible global
powers and stabilizing influences in the region. The Asian
Century we foresee will not be in competition with Pax Americana,
but will complement it by working for peace, prosperity
and stability in Asia, because a stable Asia
makes for a more stable world.
This is the reasoning behind the Asia Cooperation Dialogue
or ACD, the first ever Asia-wide cooperation forum developed
at the initiative of the Thai government. The ACD has so
far defied skeptics who argue that Asia
is too diverse to unite. Because Asia is different from other regions, it must find its own
model of cooperation to transform diversity from a force
that keeps us apart into one that keeps us together. The
ACD model is open, evolving, non-institutionalised,
and inclusive, with an emphasis on members’ comfort
level and voluntarism. So far, the ACD has 25 Asian country members and 18 areas of functional
cooperation.
Thailand has been
engaging with South Asia
in similar fashion. Less than 2 months ago, Thailand hosted
the first ever Summit of a grouping called BIMSTEC, which
comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
and Thailand. BIMSTEC
is in
negotiations for
an FTA and covers a broad range of cooperation, including
trade and investment, transport and communications, tourism,
energy, and human resource development. This cooperation
nicely complements the Thai-US partnership, as the BIMSTEC
FTA will expand the market for US goods and services tremendously.
Security in Asia, as the US knows well, also depends to a considerable
extent on reducing the gaps in development between the developing
and least developed countries. Thailand has made
use of its
development and strategic location to play a key role in helping the development
of our neighbors. The US
has recognized Bangkok’s significance as a regional
hub, which makes us an ideal partner for US efforts in the region.
Already, the US Trade and Development Agency (TDA)
opened an office in Bangkok a couple of years ago following a meeting between President
Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin. Earlier this year, Ambassador Darryl
Johnson and I signed
a Memorandum of Understanding, which led to the return of USAID to Bangkok as a regional office.
Toward the same end, Thailand also initiated the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong
Economic Cooperation Strategy, or ACMECS. This group, which bears
the names of the three major rivers passing our sub-region,
has quickly gained momentum among the members, namely Myanmar,
Laos,
Cambodia and Thailand,
and most recently, Vietnam.
The five areas of cooperation covered are agriculture and
industry, trade and investment, tourism, transport linkages,
and human resource development. We see ACMECS as a necessary
building block for the sustainable growth of the sub-region
and for the aspiration of ASEAN to build three pillars:
an ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Security
Community and ASEAN Socio-cultural Community. Several developed countries such as France, Germany,
New Zealand,
Japan, and including international organizations as
the ADB have agreed to become partners in several
of the ACMECS development projects. For France,
for example, several of the projects dovetail with its Plan
d’Action for the subregion.
I hope the United States can work with Thailand to add
value to this important strategic development cooperation.
Perhaps we may even expand our partnership beyond
Southeast Asia to other regions of possible mutual strategic
interest, such as Africa.
Thailand
is working in partnership with such UN agencies as the UNDP
in extending technical cooperation to African countries
as Madagascar,
Mozambique
and Mauritius. The
US and Thailand
as partners can contribute to Africa
for our mutual strategic interests. To foster global peace
and prosperity, it is our responsibility to work together
to help the poorest and neediest.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thailand has been
active in launching these initiatives because we see in
them the potential to make the region strong, secure and
prosperous for the benefit of all. We see in them the building
blocks to make the sub-regions of Asia stronger and make
Asia, as a continent, a better partner for the United
States, for Europe, for the
American and African continents; indeed for the world. We
see in Asia, as many see us, a continent rich with diversity, culturally,
socially and economically. But unlike many, we see in Asia
a great potential to turn diversity into strength and build
Asia into a continent of
unity, something history never gave it a chance to do.
We genuinely believe that all the initiatives for partnership
and cooperation at the subregional, inter-subregional, and
regional levels will complement other existing inter-regional
cooperation such as APEC for the benefit not only of Asia
but also the United States and the world at large.
We invite the US,
our friend and ally of almost two centuries, to consider
how we can work together to make a stronger Asia
for a better world. Indeed, this would benefit not only
Asia. We believe that the
US-Thai partnership formed on this basis could help both
of us to reach out to more partners in more regions than
we could if we worked separately, each on our own. We genuinely
hope that we will find in our long-standing partnership
with the United States
new initiatives to make each of our regions a more secure
and prosperous place for present and future generations.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The most notable
cooperation between our two countries is, of course, the
ongoing effort to
achieve a
Free Trade Agreement.
Thailand has concluded FTA talks with countries like
Australia,
Bahrain, China,
and India,
and is negotiating with Japan,
New Zealand, and Peru, as well as with the European
Free Trade Association (EFTA). However, one of the most
important, if not the most important, FTA we have
embarked upon is that with the United States. This is because, in working
on the Thai-US FTA, we are building upon an already strong, dynamic and mutually
rewarding economic partnership.
Indeed, given the dynamism and complementarities of both
countries, the United States
is already Thailand’s
largest export market and
second largest
foreign investor. Thailand, on the other hand, ranks as the US’s
19th largest overall trading partner and 23rd largest
export market
for the US.
Our growing economic ties are not just restricted to trade and investment; it also
encompasses other areas of co-operation, from tourism to
education, and from science and technology to transportation
and telecommunications. And in all these areas, we are working
together to advance even further the Economic Co-operation
Framework between Thailand and the United States that Secretary
of State Colin Powell and I signed during my Prime Minister’s
visit to Washington in December 2001.
Last October, we already made one significant progress by
signing, between Secretary Powell and myself, the MOU concerning
liberalization of air cargo between our two nations.
It is in the context of this Economic Co-operation Framework
and the Enterprise for ASEAN
Initiative (EAI) announced by President Bush the following
year that Thailand is now negotiating this FTA with
the United
States. As a comprehensive and state-of-the-art
agreement, the FTA promises to cement our economic partnership
even further, with both our private sectors and peoples
benefiting. Indeed, from the studies undertaken,
it is estimated that the FTA will increase Thailand’s exports to the United States by 5.4 per cent and your exports
to Thailand
by 5.0 per cent.
As with all trade negotiations, however, a win-win situation
can be achieved only if both sides are prepared to give as well as take. Many sensitive
issues have to be addressed, be it pick-up trucks, sugar
or mobility of business people for the United
States, or financial services,
labour
and environment for
Thailand. Nevertheless, given the political commitment
of both sides
and the overall win-win
situation that the FTA will bring,
I am confident that these and other differences can be bridged
to the mutual satisfaction of all concerned. With this new trade agreement, our
economic partnership will rise to new heights, creating
new opportunities and avenues of co-operation for our businesses
and private sectors.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
From the signing
of the 1833 US-Siamese Treaty, our partnership,
which may have been modest at first, has now expanded
to cover practically all fields of co-operation, from
political to military, from trade to investment, and from
social to cultural—reflecting true dynamism and
synergy in our relationship.
The future promises to be even brighter. Through
the endeavors that I have outlined earlier, Thailand,
together with Asia,
will emerge as a
stronger
partner of the United
States. The increased economic integration resulting from these
initiatives will create
a growing and increasingly lucrative market as well as many
investment opportunities.
In our common desire to promote sustainable growth in the
region and to
bridge the economic gap among the countries of the region,
opportunities will arise for us to work together, to be innovative and to be constructive in new areas of partnership.
Given that we
have been through thick and thin together, shoulder to shoulder,
over the last one and three-quarter centuries, I am confident, indeed enthusiastic,
about the future of our partnership. I am eager to work with all of you to take our partnership
to a higher level. And in less than 30 years from now, our
children will look back to today with a sense of pride as
they celebrate two centuries of our partnership—one that has always been based upon
mutual respect,
and the shared interests and values of both countries.
That concludes
the prepared portion of my remarks. I would now be delighted to
take any questions
you may have.
--------------------------------
