US envoy urges return to democracy

By WASAMON AUDJARINT 
THE NATION 

 

 

US AMBASSADOR to Thailand Glyn Davies is calling for Thailand to return to democracy as the Kingdom moves towards an election under the conditions of the 2017 junta-written constitution.

 

“Free and fair elections will strengthen Thailand as a leader in the region and will also [open] new opportunities to further strengthen our partnerships,” Davies said in a toasting speech to the US Independence Day early celebration on Thursday night.

 

Davies told reporters that democracy is best way to connect the country’s people with the government and that Americans “want Thailand to be successful, strong and prosperous” and “have hopes for an early return to democracy to move forward society together”. The envoy refused to comment, however, on making concrete the junta’s so-called “roadmap to democracy” as well as constitutional provisions that will ensure ongoing elections.

 

Davies will be leaving Thailand in a few months after three years of service in the Kingdom. He made headlines back in 2016 when he publicly clashed with Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai soon after the US grilled Thailand on human-rights concerns at a UN Human Rights Council session.

 

Clash with Don

 

Summoned to the foreign ministry for a meeting with Don, the ambassador catalogued Thailand’s suppression of political rights under the junta, including prosecution of social-media users, limitations on negative public commentary about the then-draft charter and the prosecution of civilians before military courts at the time.

 

But it was a one-time clash as Davies, while adhering to the US core value of democracy, has largely kept a low public profile over disagreements with the Thai government. 

 

This year, he also launched the long-prepared Great and Good Friend exhibition, which displayed artefacts exchanged between Thai kings and US presidents to celebrate the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

 

Davies has remained in the post through the transition of the US Executive branch from |Barack Obama to incumbent Donald Trump, who personally greeted PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha at the White House last October.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30348969

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-30

200 years, um didn't Thailand side with the Japanese and declare war on the U.S and it's allies.  That's definately not very friendly.  If I had a mate who went to get someone else then came back to gang up on me and kick my arse I wouldn't see that as being very friendly.  Thailand may have come back to say they were wrong, very sorry and asked to be best friends again after the war but that only 73 yrs not 200.

25 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

US envoy urges return to democracy

I would agree with him if he urged to get informed about democracy and then start for the first time

 

I am not aware of any Thai government that performed democratically - "democratically" elected or not.

 

And btw while I a do not know of any government form on earth that is better than democracy - democracy is far from ideal - it will be the rule of the stupid and greedy over the educated and well meaning until the majority of the people are well educated and their living is safe

Edited June 30, 20188 yr by sweatalot

Why does the USA CARE????   America has been siding with all sorts of regimes with horrible human rights records for many years. Saddam Hussein was a CIA asset until he crossed swords with George Bush. Democracy did not seem to be an issue with many other countries as long as they played ball with US "interests" .  IE corporations.

Oh Gee its another bash America Thread.  These are getting old.

18 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Oh Gee its another bash America Thread.  These are getting old.

I am not bashing America. I am an American citizen. I simply notice the various regimes over the years that get a "free pass". As long as a country did not declare themselves "communist", they could get away with anything. Panama was an exception.

It will need constant pressure from the international sector to ensure the generals relinquish their stern grip on Thailand.

The worry is that China is lending heaps of money...Rulers in developing countries love this cash....and they really have little regard for the populations.

Huge debts to China is crippling many developing nations: Pacific islands, including now PNG, (much to the dislike of Australia who continue to donate over $500m annually) much of Africa and some in South America.

The US needs allies in this region and Thailand is a strategic country for them.

50 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Oh Gee its another bash America Thread.  These are getting old.

No shortage of subject matter there!

Well at least Thailand has an US ambassador Australia hasn't had one for some two years or more, the latest appointee ended up in South Korea...............................................?

51 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

But it was a one-time clash as Davies, while adhering to the US core value of democracy, has largely kept a low public profile over disagreements with the Thai government. 

Why one time ?   Could not imagine putting on my socks in the morning and not wanting to speak out against Don and all the other henchmen.  Thailand needs the US far more than the US needs Thailand.  He would be doing the Thailand people a favor. 

The yank sitting behind Davies has fallen asleep. Hope the sign above his head didnt fall and guillotine him.  ouch!

Pretty much sums up the irrelevance of modern day ambassadors.

Hasnt Trump  left dozens of embassies without senior staff because he couldnt be bothered with it !

Edited June 30, 20188 yr by lanista

2 hours ago, Thechook said:

200 years, um didn't Thailand side with the Japanese and declare war on the U.S and it's allies.  That's definately not very friendly.  If I had a mate who went to get someone else then came back to gang up on me and kick my arse I wouldn't see that as being very friendly.  Thailand may have come back to say they were wrong, very sorry and asked to be best friends again after the war but that only 73 yrs not 200.

 

Yes, they declared war after siding with the Japanese. The UK wanted Thailand to be forced to pay war reparations after WW2 ended, but the USA vetoed that, widely thought to be on the basis of upcoming commercial treaties and a desire for a foot on the ground in SE Asia. The USA rightly predicted the rise of China and wanted a tame friend it could count on close by.

 

Thailand was then used as a centre for troop R&R during the Vietnam war, and were thus instrumental in creating Thailand as the world's largest brothel, which continues to have repercussions today. The CIA were also instrumental in designing the propaganda campaign which also persists today, with such enormous damage to the prospects of the Thai people, and were behind sending household calendars to every home/hovel in Thailand - the one with the picture on it - and encouraging the myth that people should pray to it for good luck. This was the very beginning of the massaging of Thailand to be the poodle of the USA. The USA has been a good friend to Thailand and has profited greatly from what many think has been a rather lop-sided relationship.

 

The CIA were also instrumental in designing other aspects of the ubiquitous national propaganda campaign in Thailand, the consequences of which are still easy to see today.  Nation-state building at it's very finest. Thailand was the model for many subsequent adventures by the CIA when it was wished to 'mould' a Nation-State population into the shape desired by the USA for it's own benefit. This period of time has seen the transformation of the USA from a rather withdrawn and self-centred nation prior to Pearl Harbour, into the first Imperialist and self-centred Nation since the Roman Empire, and the first to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the furtherance of it's imperialist ambitions. Today, we stand on the brink of seeing that policy rebounding punitively.

 

Good job America, the world has been at your feet for several decades, but unbridled and rapacious greed at the direct expense of humanity is now bringing it's own reward.

 

Edited June 30, 20188 yr by KiwiKiwi

Won't happen. Americans need to stop dreaming, like Trump!

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

US envoy urges return to democracy

I read this headline and wondered why a US politician in Thailand would be urging the USA to return to democracy. But it would be great for all the disenfranchised American non-billionaire poor. 

2 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

A delicious irony standing up there during an Independence Day celebration calling for a return to democracy.

 

All their de-facto colonies are now best buddies with China. They don't give two hoots about the US any more.

 

Party's over Yanks.  

 

 

As we all know, the good general and his room temperature IQ henchmen have a delusional messiah complex.  A complex that could only be formed and understood in the entitled, intellectually devoid circles of Thailand.   He thinks that China and the US do not know he is going to try play one off the other.  From media reports, there is no person in the current Thai government that is anywhere near as smart as say Ho Chi Minh.  The Yanks have many disadvantages compared to China.  The biggest is its isolation.  It is just too far away.  It lacks an effective enough foreign policy to overcome these challenges to compete with the rise of China. 

They yank party has just begun.   The British party has been over for 60 years. 

28 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

They yank party has just begun.   The British party has been over for 60 years. 

The British party was over on Nov 11, 1918  or before.   The US will have to have better policies to compete with China.  At this time, the yank party is running low on drinks and food.  The musicians are all taking long breaks because they are warn out.  That party is in need of revitalization, as hit a serious lull over the Bush/Obama years.  US citizens are hampered overseas.  Other country's citizens have far greater advantages over the US.

Edited June 30, 20188 yr by yellowboat

11 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

 

The US needs allies in this region and Thailand is a strategic country for them.

And that IMHO is the only reason.

Democracy you say

This from a representative of the venal man who utilised the hacking services of another nation to influence result and instal a draft dodging wannabe dictator

Edited June 30, 20188 yr by Expatthailover

14 hours ago, yellowboat said:

US citizens are hampered overseas.  Other country's citizens have far greater advantages over the US.

Not so in this Kingdom.

20 hours ago, jimmyyy said:

They yank party has just begun.   The British party has been over for 60 years. 

The yank Chinese party has just begun......

25 minutes ago, pornprong said:

The yank Chinese party has just begun......

Every "empire" comes to an end.

Speaking as an American, at this very dark time in American history, the USA has no business giving morality lectures to any other nation about democracy. 

14 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

Every "empire" comes to an end.

The US will be the first nuclear "empire" to get knocked off the perch though.......going to be interesting.

 

The Chinese are doing all they can to grow their middle class, the US are doing the exact opposite.

The greed of well off Americans is staggering.

Tax cut after tax cut multiplied by corporate bailouts have created pockets of vast wealth amongst oceans of abject poverty.

Nothing speaks more to America's current dismal situation than the opioid epidemic - its origins and its victims reveals all.

Edited July 1, 20188 yr by pornprong

The world will become a more peaceful place once the Americans shut up their big mouth. Democracy (and the US has an own interpretation of that when seeing how they toppled countless, democratically elected, governments - the latest attempt is in Syria and Iran) is not the ultimate key to political success. 

Democracy requires an educated electorate, the ability agreeing to disagree and allow local variations of "democracy". If a country is happy with their political system it certainly does not take Americans (or anyone else for that matter) to teach them right from wrong. 

But then again, an ambassador is nothing but a mouthpiece and cannot have an own opinion in public!