Holes in Thailand's foreign policy

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Holes in Thailand's foreign policy
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayuth's address to lawmakers was full of orders but short on a vision of the country's future on the regional and international stages

New Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn has a tough job ahead after his boss, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, made a patchy announcement of government policy at the National Legislative Assembly last week.

The NLA heard a disjointed address on foreign policy, which Prayuth approached piecemeal and in different contexts. The main focus was on security affairs, while Asean - or to be more precise, just the Asean Economic Community - was treated individually.

On the security front, Prayuth indicated that Thailand would emphasise preparations to integrate with the Asean Political and Security Community. The government has mapped out five areas that need work. They are border management, maritime security, transnational crimes, building confidence with neighbouring countries and building capacity for joint military operations with Asean members, plus boundary-line settlement.

To this extent, Prayuth's foreign policy looks less like innovation and more like routine work for the foreign and defence ministries. Bureaucracy has to work on these security matters all the time, with or without a government. What people want to know is how the new government will manage the borders. Policy is best defined as government guidelines on those particular issues, not a list of items of work.

The predominantly military Cabinet is supposedly keen on security matters, but the policy paper Prime Minister Prayuth announced to the NLA, last week, was disappointing. It did not give a clear picture of how the government would deal with complex security concerns in the international arena.

Instead, it simply said the government would have "good relations with foreign countries on the premise that foreign policy [will] be a key component in the administration".

Of course, Thailand must have good relations with all countries, but the question is whether "good relations" will be enough to deal effectively with the regional power rivalry between the United States and China, as well as in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea?

On Asean affairs, the foreign-policy plan merely mentioned the Asean Economic Community blueprint and Asean Connectivity Master Plan, with which Thailand is obligated to comply as a member of the bloc. Hastening preparations for regional economic integration and connectivity is the kind of routine work that must be carried out by any government.

Senior officials at the Foreign Ministry should brief the new minister on the latest developments in Asean affairs. The regional group is set to integrate as a "community" by the end of next year. Asean is now talking about regional security architecture. Member countries are in intensive negotiations to upgrade free-trade agreements with other regions of the world.

Thailand, a leading member of the bloc, should not be thinking merely about ways of coming to terms with integration but also about how to push ahead with Asean ambitions on the international stage.

The foreign policy announced by Prayuth mentioned regional and sub-regional frameworks of cooperation, such as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. The government has pledged to implement plans under these frameworks.

However, Prime Minister Prayuth missed many important cooperation schemes in the region, which foreign minister Tanasak now needs to fill in with decisive plans of action.

Key policy questions that remain unanswered include whether Thailand should join the US-dominated Trans Pacific Partnership and the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Development Bank. Whatever the decision, these policies should also be announced to the public, because their outcome would affect people's lives as well as the country's future.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Holes-in-Thailands-foreign-policy-30243355.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-16

[JoePai]

Is this surprising ? After all they are squaddies and not politicians

[Fat Haggis]

If that were the case, then it would have been a landslide victory for the Dems on the second election that was going to take place then Halloween but the Dems said they'd boycot and the PDRC said they'd block it.. and then the coup took that all away, and we'll never know if the true power of the people would have been tru and just.

[Chris Lawrence]

These guys want to run with China; as they aren't as scathing as the US is on the things Thailand are doing wrong.

[halloween]

If that were the case, then it would have been a landslide victory for the Dems on the second election that was going to take place then Halloween but the Dems said they'd boycot and the PDRC said they'd block it.. and then the coup took that all away, and we'll never know if the true power of the people would have been tru and just.

The Democrats, along with the PDRC, had said that the system was flawed and needed reform. No, you'll never know, but at least we are spared you calling them hypocrites for using a flawed system when indications were that it favoured them.

[Scott]

A post which quoted a source that could be considered critical of the military government has been removed along with replies.

[Krataiboy]

Key policy questions that remain unanswered include whether Thailand should join the US-dominated Trans Pacific Partnership

No, no, a thousand times no, unless they want to be taken over by corporate America.

[rreddin]

A post which quoted a source that could be considered critical of the military government has been removed along with replies.

Is not the OP critical of the military government?

[tigermoth]

The Nation is increasingly making statements which show criticism of the Military rule. This should be allowed as Prayuth has made it it clear from the beginning of his statements that he has little idea of what governing a country means or involves. Without criticism how can he learn.

[fobuff]

A post which quoted a source that could be considered critical of the military government has been removed along with replies.

Is not the OP critical of the military government?

Be careful, the TV censors are edgy

[slipperx]

The lack of focus is to be expected from a government made up of largely non-politicians that has been hastily formed. The general has outlined the general framework which is about as much as could be expected at this stage. The circumstances are greatly different from the process if an election where the members if the parties likely to win have been mulled over and decided long before they get into power. Sometimes the elected government seems to be clueless even though they have far more time for thought and reflection than the current regime.

The time for criticism as the OP post would be if the specifics do not get built up in the next few months into the basic framework outlined. Perhaps people are expecting too much too soon?