Love-Hate Relationship Between Thailand And UN Needs Sweetening

[webfact]

Love-hate relationship between Thailand and UN needs sweetening

By Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

When Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, arrives in Bangkok today for a one-day stopover, he will see a different Thailand from the country that has recently been the subject of constant international news headlines and repeated discussion at the UN.

In the past few months, Thailand has also had an earful of comments from Ban, who was elected to his current position in 2007, beating other Asian candidates including former Thai foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

His visit, according to the Foreign Ministry, will be a good opportunity to familiarise himself with the constructive role of Thailand in the region, as well as a chance for both sides to discuss issues of common interest.

UN-Thai relations have had their ups and downs since the country joined the international organisation in 1946. Thailand was heavily bruised after the World War II when the country sided with Japan, part of the Axis powers. Before its admission one year after the UN was founded, the country had to brave tough negotiations and numerous obstacles from the organisation's big five powers. It is this very sense of vulnerability and fragility that has formed the template of UN-Thai relations.

As an independent country that escaped the Western colonisation, Thailand perceived UN membership as a prerequisite for its emergence as a sovereign state. Doubtless, Thailand has always pledged to cooperate with the UN in maintaining peace and stability in the world.

That helps to explain why every time the country encounters a problem - domestic or international - the name of the UN is usually invoked. During the recent political unrest, as in many previous conflict situations, the UN was mentioned by protesters time and again as a potential saviour, even though in reality the UN has no role in domestic politics unless they impact on international peace and security. Even former prime minister (now a fugitive from justice) Thaksin Shinawatra, who infamously said "the UN is not my father", asked for the body's intervention.

It is this idea of a parental power figure hovering above that has influenced Thailand's foreign policy and its relations with the UN. Thai bureaucrats and UN officials have a notorious "love-hate" relationship. They have often clashed in carrying out their mandates and responsibilities, especially on issues related to displaced persons, illegal immigrants and migrant workers, as well as on human rights.

Indeed, no country in the region has had such intense engagements with the UN in the past five decades as Thailand. Although Thailand is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, it has been trying to do almost everything to meet the convention's norms and standards. Thai officials have often felt they not have received due recognition for all the sacrifices the country has had to go through.

For instance, Thailand has extended shelter to millions of Indochinese refugees since the 1970s. More than three million Cambodians took refuge in Thailand during the Cambodian war (1979-1992) before they were settled overseas. Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea. Currently, the country also houses many UN operations, including the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

With a huge presence of overseas displaced persons, the eyes of international scrutiny are focused on Thailand and most of them zero in on its shortcomings. The Abhisit government has a clear policy to respect the human rights of all peoples. But when it comes to implementing measures to protect against violation of human rights, there is room for improvement.

As the current president of the UN Human Rights Council, Thailand has placed itself in the eye of storms. Bangkok has made its succinctly clear that it joined the UNHRC not to protect its human rights record but to promote those rights regionally and internationally. Within this context, it must be pointed out that the Democrat Party is the only party that incorporates human rights and democracy as part of its foreign policy.

In the past year, all sorts of human rights issues have cropped up non-stop, portraying Thailand as if it were a closed society with despotic leadership. International and regional human rights organisations have taken the Abhisit government to task on a daily basis. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Commission for Jurists and other regional human right advocacy groups have been busy through their representative offices.

Thailand has made known its intention to be a candidate for the non-permanent UN Security Council seat in 2017. When the country last served as president of UN Security Council, in 1986, Thailand voted to condemn the US attack on Tripoli.

Ban's visit comes at the time when Thailand's role among the international peacekeeping forces will come under focus again. A total of 812 Thai soldiers are scheduled to be deployed to the Darfur region of Sudan next month after months of preparation. They are part of the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the latest to join UN sponsored missions that have spanned South Korea, Cambodia, East Timor and Burundi.

Beyond refugees and the peacekeeping realm, Thailand has been an active partner of the UN in implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals project, noting that the country was likely to meet most of its own objectives within five years.

Thailand also encourages Asean-UN cooperation on peacekeeping. Under its chair last year, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya proposed that Asean should form a common approach to peacekeeping, as each Asean member has taken part in UN peacekeeping operations in various capacities.

Ban, who will travel to Cambodia this evening, will hold the third UN- Asean summit meeting, with leaders in Hanoi at the weekend, to discuss ways to strengthen Asean-UN cooperation in disaster management and peacekeeping.

The visit, despite being brief, will certainly boost Thai-UN cooperation and offer a rare opportunity for Abhisit and Bang to clarify each other's position on sensitive issues that have tarnished their relations.

-- The Nation 2010-10-26

[geovalin]

A lot of mistakes in this article.

Too easy to write such errors / rewrite the history.

I'm pretty sure the Thai Visa readers will find them.

[elshaheen]

Same as Burma. They hear the advice with deaf ears and tell them to go mind their own business, for we are ...... and proud of it.

[Payboy]

Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea.

Who's doing whom a favour?

[phiphidon]

For instance, Thailand has extended shelter to millions of Indochineserefugees since the 1970s. More than three million Cambodians took refuge in Thailand during the Cambodian war (1979-1992) before they were settled overseas. Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea.

But for how much longer? Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in a speech to the Asia Society in New York, September 28th;

"I am going back to Bangkok and one of the first things I will be doing is to launch a more comprehensive program for the Myanmar people in the camps, the displaced persons, the intellectuals that run around the streets of Bangkok and Chang Mai province, to prepare them to return to Myanmar after the elections."

Thailand's foreign ministry has since said Mr Kasit's remarks have been misinterpreted.

And some people still remember the Rohingya being repatriated.

But it's not all bad news;

Thailand's longer record on Burmese refugees has been admirable, says David Mathieson, the head of research on Myanmar for Human Rights Watch. Thailand has for decades borne the brunt of refugee exoduses from South-East Asian conflicts, including wars in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. "You put that in context and Thailand actually has been very tolerant in its refugee policy towards Burmese." But Mr Kasit's recent proposal is deeply dangerous, he says—and vague, too. "It's unclear who exactly this would apply to and how it would be carried out." In the meantime, he adds, "it has made hundreds of thousands…if not millions of Burmese in Thailand very nervous".

source: http://www.economist...fugees_thailand

Edited October 26, 2010 by phiphidon

[JetsetBkk]

As an independent country that escaped the Western colonisation

... unfortunately for Thailand...

[chantorn]

For instance, Thailand has extended shelter to millions of Indochineserefugees since the 1970s. More than three million Cambodians took refuge in Thailand during the Cambodian war (1979-1992) before they were settled overseas. Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea.

But for how much longer? Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in a speech to the Asia Society in New York, September 28th;

"I am going back to Bangkok and one of the first things I will be doing is to launch a more comprehensive program for the Myanmar people in the camps, the displaced persons, the intellectuals that run around the streets of Bangkok and Chang Mai province, to prepare them to return to Myanmar after the elections."

Thailand's foreign ministry has since said Mr Kasit's remarks have been misinterpreted.

And some people still remember the Rohingya being repatriated.

But it's not all bad news;

Thailand's longer record on Burmese refugees has been admirable, says David Mathieson, the head of research on Myanmar for Human Rights Watch. Thailand has for decades borne the brunt of refugee exoduses from South-East Asian conflicts, including wars in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. "You put that in context and Thailand actually has been very tolerant in its refugee policy towards Burmese." But Mr Kasit's recent proposal is deeply dangerous, he says—and vague, too. "It's unclear who exactly this would apply to and how it would be carried out." In the meantime, he adds, "it has made hundreds of thousands…if not millions of Burmese in Thailand very nervous".

source: http://www.economist...fugees_thailand

Have election does not mean have democracy.

I suppose Kasit still does not know that.

[BigC]

Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea.

Who's doing whom a favour?

never been a fan of illegal immergrants they have reuined my native country as for human rights. they start to fade away with the amount of time u spend illegally in someone elses country.

That Brazilian man who was shot dead by the UK police probably would have been allive if he went home when hid visa expired. Instead he ran thinking that immgeration where after him. he get mistakenly shot. then somehoe his relitives get compensation from the criminal son.

This stuff sickens me. So i have no sypmothy for illegal immergrants. I am all for helping people who are more unfortate than me but give people an inch they take a mile.

My Thai wife told me that the first thing they are taught in school is to protect their own country. I totally agrea with this. Burma has had conflict with thailand for many year. The thais will bever forgive them and they should not. they are treated like second or 3rdd class citerzens and that is what they should expect.

In the UK we let people into our country to claim assylem. Then they rave on about how they hate our system. We ask them to go home if they don't like it. Then they get angry saying that it is there right to live in the U.K.

Yeah alright jog on !

Thailand do nothing wrong with illegal immergrants. Infact they are too leaniante.

Yes Thailand should be credited for there rstraint and for the help they have given to these people.

There policy is. If u r good with us. then we are good with u. if u take advantage we will be very harsh. how much more fair can u be !

[BigC]

refugees should not every be alloud outside their camps in wha ever country they are in because when it is time to ship them back 10 years later half there kids can stay and get educated. The kids that were born in the new country amd the half that came over as refugees have to go back. this cause sepeation in families and in some case kids going back parentless because the parent find loop holes where they can stay with there new born children.

I would like to know 1 thing when somone swears legence to another country to gain a new passport. that quesion is. " would you pick up a gun and fight to defend your new chosen country ? "

[Payboy]

Now, more than two million migrant workers from Burma are residing in various parts of Thailand, not to mention seasonal illegal immigrants on land or at sea.

Who's doing whom a favour?

never been a fan of illegal immergrants they have reuined my native country as for human rights. they start to fade away with the amount of time u spend illegally in someone elses country.

That Brazilian man who was shot dead by the UK police probably would have been allive if he went home when hid visa expired. Instead he ran thinking that immgeration where after him. he get mistakenly shot. then somehoe his relitives get compensation from the criminal son.

This stuff sickens me. So i have no sypmothy for illegal immergrants. I am all for helping people who are more unfortate than me but give people an inch they take a mile.

My Thai wife told me that the first thing they are taught in school is to protect their own country. I totally agrea with this. Burma has had conflict with thailand for many year. The thais will bever forgive them and they should not. they are treated like second or 3rdd class citerzens and that is what they should expect.

In the UK we let people into our country to claim assylem. Then they rave on about how they hate our system. We ask them to go home if they don't like it. Then they get angry saying that it is there right to live in the U.K.

Yeah alright jog on !

Thailand do nothing wrong with illegal immergrants. Infact they are too leaniante.

Yes Thailand should be credited for there rstraint and for the help they have given to these people.

There policy is. If u r good with us. then we are good with u. if u take advantage we will be very harsh. how much more fair can u be !

My point was about the 2 million + migrant workers (if that piece of statistics is true) who are here because Thai businesses need the cheap labour to remain competitive.

[SergeiY]

Hey - Samran's Law

Godwin's law: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches."

Samran's law: "As a TV discussion by British Expats grow longer, the probablility of an immigrant bash approaches".

There, my claim to fame.

[BigC]

Hey - Samran's Law

Godwin's law: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches."

Samran's law: "As a TV discussion by British Expats grow longer, the probablility of an immigrant bash approaches".

There, my claim to fame.

problems is that for some reason Hitler and Nazis get linked when people have a problem with illegal immgerants and protecting yr own country. these so called antie Nazis make it problems when trying to discuss serious issues. They try to block things that need to be talked about by calling people nazis and Hitler. The most lowest form of arguing that there is. People use this card so often that it gets boring.

Yes the immergrants are alloud to work. Under strict regulations. They cannot leave their camps. they cannot own mobile phones, they have to have the paper work to allow them to work.