BURNING ISSUE
Thailand deserves a turn at the UN Security Council
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Whether they love or hate this current government, Thai people should support the Foreign Ministry in its campaign for a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Of course, national interest in this case could not be quantified into cash terms or anything like that - but being a member of the council would help raise Thailand's international role in all global issues.

The government recently launched a campaign to be a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2017-2018. Its theme was to be a bridge between developed and developing members for peace and security.

Thailand served a two-year team with the security body in 1985-1986 when the Cold War was nearing its end.

The idea to apply for membership this time surfaced in 2007 during the coup-appointed government under Prime Minister Surayud Chulanond; indeed an embryo of an idea existed with the Foreign Ministry long before. The Thai permanent representative at the UN in New York informed the ASEAN New York Committee of the goal in November 2007. It is the norm for ASEAN members to move collectively - so ASEAN is the first international entity Thailand needs to inform in order to avoid competition within the group.

Among ASEAN members, the Philippines was the first country to take up a non-permanent membership of the council in 1957 and Manila was in the position again in 1963, 1980 and 2004. Malaysia took it up for the first time in 1965 and again in 1989 and 1999. Indonesia was a Security Council member in 1973 and again in 1995 and 2007. Singapore and Vietnam held the role once each in 2001 and 2008 respectively. The remaining ASEAN members - Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar - as well as more than 60 other UN members, have never been elected as non-permanent members.

The Thai cabinet under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva approved in July 2009 Thailand's candidacy as a Security Council member. The Foreign Ministry has continued trade-off support among UN members since then. It was the government under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra that made this campaign known publicly at home. The PM adopted the issue as her agenda whenever she was on a mission abroad, although her term in office will end before the day Thailand has a representative in the council.

Considering the contributions Thailand has made over the past decades to the UN, including peacekeeping forces and development tasks, the country already has good recognition in the UN. A major UN regional body and many other branch offices are situated in Bangkok. Although its human rights and democracy records are not without blemish, Thailand once chaired the UN Human Rights Council.

However there's no free ticket for Thailand to get Security Council membership. The Foreign Ministry under this government and governments in the future have to work hard until 2016 to get at least a two-thirds vote from the UN General Assembly to be elected to the top global security body.


-- The Nation 2013-09-11

Read from this more overseas shopping trips and 5 star hotel stays.

sent from my hippo phone

Not even laughable!

Why do they deserve this? Because the Filipinos had it once? The Filipinos are more civilized than Thailand. Take a quick look at how they treat foreigners and then how can you come to the conclusion Thailand deserves anything?

If you can't get your own house in order, what makes you qualified to lead others attempting to do the same?

Sort out the domestic political-mess, the Rohingya-refugee problem and the war in the South, before trying to tell the rest of the world you know how to do things better !

What's the date again?

Is the seat thailand deserves the white one in the room that has a sign saying ladies?

So.. how many coups have there been since 1985? And this idea was spawned during the coup of 2007? Okay, yes... I see. Thank you! And, by the way, please: don't call us--we will call you. Okay?

I'm not a natural defender of this government however the Rohingya refugee problem should be addressed by the United Nations. We are far too fast to land responsibility on to Thailand. The UN should be operating camps in Thailand dealing with this and putting the Rohingya under protection until the problems in Burma are sorted out.

The Rohingya are a Burmese problem landed on Thailand. People are also fast to forget that Thailand has taken in millions of Burmese refugees already.

On the other hand some of the Thai responses have been appalling, all the more reason why they should be placed front and centre at the UN.

Anyway, the UN should be abolished. It's not fit for purpose and it's causing division.

The five veto nations wield the veto in their narrow self interest and that poisons the Well. There may be near unanimous condemnation of Israeli action but the US will veto it. The Russians and Chinese love vetoing things just to wind America up, and the Brits and France sit there kicking each other under the table.

It's time for the UN to go, it's so last century.

What's the date again?

The same one............. every day.

I'm not sure the UN will agree that Thailand deserves a place after Thaksin's famous "the UN is not my father" quote and more recently playing ducks and drakes over the Preah Vihear temple dispute.

No, it doesn't.

I suppose if something goes awry then they can always paint out the UN logo.

I suppose if something goes awry then they can always paint out the UN logo.

easy to do a whitewash on their vehicles...but the helmets need that funny blue paint.

Yeh, China needs all the support it can get.

Not even laughable!

I wanted to laugh but only managed to groan...

So.. how many coups have there been since 1985? And this idea was spawned during the coup of 2007? Okay, yes... I see. Thank you! And, by the way, please: don't call us--we will call you. Okay?

Wade further into the last century... since 1905 how many coups...? A steady drum beat every 5-7 years.

I'm not a natural defender of this government however the Rohingya refugee problem should be addressed by the United Nations. We are far too fast to land responsibility on to Thailand. The UN should be operating camps in Thailand dealing with this and putting the Rohingya under protection until the problems in Burma are sorted out.

The Rohingya are a Burmese problem landed on Thailand. People are also fast to forget that Thailand has taken in millions of Burmese refugees already.

On the other hand some of the Thai responses have been appalling, all the more reason why they should be placed front and centre at the UN.

Anyway, the UN should be abolished. It's not fit for purpose and it's causing division.

The five veto nations wield the veto in their narrow self interest and that poisons the Well. There may be near unanimous condemnation of Israeli action but the US will veto it. The Russians and Chinese love vetoing things just to wind America up, and the Brits and France sit there kicking each other under the table.

It's time for the UN to go, it's so last century.

How can UNHCR establish refugee camps in Thailand, when Thailand has not ratified the relevant UN conventions? For the meantime admission to the refugee camps in Thailand is governed by Thailand's Provincial Admissions Board.

BTW their are not 2 million Burmese refugees/asylum seekers in Thailand, according to UNHCR more like a max 200k. Think you are confusing with the number of Burmese legal/illegal workers. More info at:

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e489646.html

They don't deserve it.

Actually, I'm surprised Thailand hasn't fell under the Security Council's review in recent years.

TIT land of Retarded Arrogant Politicians. The world would not give Thailand a seat in the loo. Such a beautiful country too. Lots of very good hard working people.

Perhaps, it could be seen as a chance to save money. The Prime Minister could be based permanently in New York, and not need to spend a fortune on galivanting around the globe. She seems to spend more time overseas than at home anyway and rarely attends parliamentry meetings, so it is not as if she would be missed.

Sort out the domestic political-mess, the Rohingya-refugee problem and the war in the South, before trying to tell the rest of the world you know how to do things better !

Listening to Yiongluck's speeches, they already know how to do things better.

As long as the permanent members have veto power, I cannot see why anyone would want to be on it.

What is the point? (apart from prestige maybe)

Thailand think they have a chance after moving just ahead of Syria in the race.

It's laughable the difference between how Thailand perceive themselves and how other countries perceive them

Edited September 11, 201312 yr by Time Traveller

The UN is not my Father!!!!!!

Ring any Bells?

From Wikipedia entry for UN Security Council, (member) responsibilities include:

- Maintenance of international peace

- Establishment of peacekeeping operations

- Establishment of international sanctions

- Authorization of military action

Which, if any, of the above has Thailand demonstrated any involvement, let alone competency (let alone leadership!), in over the last 20 years?

Perhaps if they had a seat on the Security Council, they could explain to the rest of the world just why all the Hitler-mania in Thailand should be considered very "funny!"

Yes, Thailand deserves the right to meddle in other countries' affairs, just like those pesky foreign countries always point and meddle with all things Thai...On the other hand it's probably just a Foreign Ministry ploy to get their hands on some more government funds...

Countries unable to solve their own issues should not even think about to get a seat in the UN!