Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Foreign minister should do his real job: Bangkok

THAILAND - The appointment of Surapong Towichukchaikul as foreign minister raised many eyebrows because of his zero track record in diplomacy and foreign affairs.

He certainly gave his opponents extra ammunition with his blatant petitioning of the Japanese government to grant a visa to his real boss.

But if he turns his attention back to the real priorities of his portfolio, there are outstanding opportunities that could mark him as an outstanding Thai foreign minister, one duly recorded in the annals of Thai history in the years to come. If only he will seize the day.

The first is to the east and Thailand's neighbour Cambodia. There are clear signs that the Hun Sen regime is far more sympathetic to this Pheu Thai government than it was to the previous Democrat administration.

If Foreign Minister Surapong can persuade his colleagues to swallow their Thai pride, he might be in a position to negotiate with the Phnom Penh regime and settle the long-running border disputes and who owns what particular part of Preah Vihear and its surroundings.

To do this he could propose to Cambodia the oft-mooted "international park" model under which the disputed areas would be declared an international zone under joint Cambodian-Thai administration, allowing free access from both sides.

Problem solved and face saved in both countries! Here at home, full credit to Mr Surapong.

The second is to the west and Thailand's neighbour Burma. Unless it is window dressing for the consumption of the West, there are signs that the despots in Burma are softening their stance toward Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy, with "the Lady" being granted an audience with President Thein Sein last week.

There is an opportunity here for Foreign Minister Surapong to act as intermediary and broker some significant concessions.

Burma wants its turn in the Asean chair. Why couldn't Thailand offer its total support for this and lobby other Asean members in exchange for the release of political prisoners, estimated at some 2,000?

It might be too much to expect the release of them all, but the release of 1,000 - even 500 - would be a major breakthrough and another feather in Mr Surapong's cap?

But perhaps all this is too much to expect of the man when he is preoccupied in a childish tit-for-tat squabble with the Democrats on whether he did or he didn't ask the Japanese to renew Thaksin's visa.

Even today he is reported to be in a puerile complaint to the police about the nasty things that are being said about him. This is hardly the behaviour of a diplomat and foreign affairs minister.

"Carpe diem", Mr Surapong, and you may yet be recorded as a man of substance.

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