For Prayut, Asem meet is ideal place to make international bow

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For Prayut, Asem meet is ideal place to make international bow
Thepchai Yong
The Nation


Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presides over a Cabinet meeting at Government House.

BANGKOK: -- Reluctance to face critics in Europe is understandable, but who better than the junta leader to explain Thailand's democracy roadmap to the world?

Whether or not Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha shows up at the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in the Italian city of Milan in mid-October is not going to make much difference to the forum. But his absence will certainly not be helpful for his attempts to engage with the international community on his "roadmap" for bringing Thailand back to democracy.

In Brussels there are still questions over whether General Prayut will make a last-minute decision to join what has come to be recognised as a key forum for dialogue and cooperation between two of the world's most important continents.

While much of Europe has put the Thai military on notice in response to its power seizure in May, no country has actually come out to call for a repeat of the treatment the European Union once gave the junta in Myanmar over its crackdown on pro-democracy movements. While Prayut can expect to receive the cold shoulder from some of the more outspoken EU government leaders if he chooses to participate, Milan's Asem is unlikely to turn out to be a hostile forum for the Thai leader despite outcries over the coup. Besides the handshakes and photo ops, he may even manage to have bilateral meetings with some of his European counterparts. "Some EU government leaders will be more than happy to have bilateral talks with General Prayut but don't expect much fanfare about them," said an Asean diplomat, cautioning that there is still sensitivity over publicity given to meetings between EU leaders and Thai military leaders.

If the Thai Foreign Ministry has its way (though that now looks increasingly unlikely), General Prayut should represent Thailand at the forum. After all, what could be a better platform for Thailand's new leader to present himself than a summit of 53 leaders from two continents? And who could clarify the political path Thailand is taking better than the Thai prime minister, who also doubles as the junta leader?

But for those close to the prime minister, that could be the last thing they want him to do at his juncture. In their opinion, if Prayut is to make his first foray onto the global stage, Asem - despite its international prominence - may not be the right platform. They are not certain how he will be treated and how he would handle the pressure that may come not only from summit participants but also from the international media. So a regional forum with a more friendly setting, like the Asean Summit to be held in Myanmar in November, should be a safer choice.

At the time of writing, the Foreign Ministry has yet to receive a formal answer from the prime minister. Prayut was represented by Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn at the UN General Assembly last week. In his weekly address last Friday, the prime minister suggested he had yet to decide on his foreign itinerary but stressed that his foreign visits "must be substantive, of real benefit and worthy of people's taxes".

If that is General Prayut's criteria for deciding on his overseas missions, then the Milan summit should be high on his priority list, given the increasingly important role European countries have in this region. First of all, this year's Asem provides Prayut with his first opportunity to interact with his European and Asian counterparts since he came to power.

In a series of briefings in Brussels last week, European officials stressed the need for closer cooperation between the two regions, and how important Asem has become in the face of increasing complexity of international situations. Asem countries represent half of the world's GDP, almost 60 per cent of the world's population and 60 per cent of global trade.

They cited the fact that the number of countries joining the biannual event has risen from 26 when it was first held, in Bangkok in 1996, to 53 this year, as confirmation of its relevance. Kazakhstan is the latest country and the first from Central Asia to sign up. Knocking on the door is Ukraine while Turkey has already sent its application, according to a senior EU official responsible for organising the Milan summit.

The theme for this year's Asem is "Responsible Partnership for Sustainable Growth and Security", which reflects what EU officials describe as a manifestation of the interdependency of Europe and Asia. It will also be another important forum to demonstrate Europe's commitment to engaging countries in Asia.

In his most recent speech, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy stressed the importance of the trans-continental relationship, saying that the welfare and future of Europe requires the stability and economic dynamism of Asian societies. It is obvious that Asian-European ties have gone beyond economic relations, with their security becoming more inter-linked. With tensions running over maritime disputes in the face of rising China, many Asian nations see Europe as a balancing element.

But besides headline-making issues, non-traditional security matters like human trafficking, cyber-crime, illegal trade in weapons, drugs, wildlife products, food security and water management have also been high on their common agenda. EU officials said the theme of this year's summit is designed to reflect the need for the two sides to work more closely together to promote their common interests.

Despite its critical stand on Thailand in the aftermath of the military power seizure, none of the EU countries is known to object to Thailand's presence at the summit. That means General Prayut will be more than welcome at the forum if he decides to attend. In fact, European diplomats have stressed that their governments still want to engage with Thailand even though they are opposed to the military intervention.

"Of course, we are disappointed with the coup, which we believe did not solve any problems. But we will continue to engage with Thailand to help with its return to democracy as soon as possible," said an EU official in Brussels.

It should be a relief for the Thai junta to know that the EU has no desire to see a repeat of the impasse over Myanmar that paralysed its relations with its Asian partners and threatened to scuttle their summit in 2004. That means they have no intention of confronting Thailand with the same tough demands on democratic reforms and human rights as they did with Myanmar.

"Most European countries see constructive engagement as the best approach in dealing with Thailand," said a Thai diplomat, referring to Asean's policy to engage, rather than alienate, Myanmar so as to encourage democratic changes.

The challenge is for the Foreign Ministry to convince General Prayut that as Thailand's leader he will also have to start to learn to engage his critics - and the sooner the better.

(Thepchai Yong, The Nation’s Group Editor-in-Chief, was in Brussels recently for the EU-Asia Dialogue Workshop on The European Union and Its Relations with Asia, at the invitation of Konrad Adenauer Foundation)

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/For-Prayut-Asem-meet-is-ideal-place-to-make-intern-30244395.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-30

[keith101]

who gives a toss about what the EU thinks about the coup , Thailand is in Asia not Europe and has very little in common with them . They should be more concerned with Russia/Ukraine and the ISIS problems with insurgents returning to their countries .

[chotthee]

"Prayut was represented by Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn at the UN General Assembly last week."

I would say General Tanasak Patimapragorn had done a very very good job. I just read an article in the news that the nations in UN have now understood that the May 22 coup was necessary to unit the country, end violent and most important of all, return happiness to the people. Without which, there would be a civil war and people may die, injured, raped, in the millions. Look at Yugoslavia for an example, if you divide the country into fragment.

[NongKhaiKid]

who gives a toss about what the EU thinks about the coup , Thailand is in Asia not Europe and has very little in common with them . They should be more concerned with Russia/Ukraine and the ISIS problems with insurgents returning to their countries .

Great idea, lets tell the EU in fact the whole world we don't give a toss what they think about Thailand.

If adverse travel advisories etc are issued and tourist revenue falls we can take it, if investors get scared off it's not a problem.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"Prayut was represented by Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn at the UN General Assembly last week."

I would say General Tanasak Patimapragorn had done a very very good job. I just read an article in the news that the nations in UN have now understood that the May 22 coup was necessary to unit the country, end violent and most important of all, return happiness to the people. Without which, there would be a civil war and people may die, injured, raped, in the millions. Look at Yugoslavia for an example, if you divide the country into fragment.

Wasn't that a Thai written article?

There haven't been any quoted statements by any UN representatives that agree with the Junta's overthrow of the democratically elected government or its suppression of civil rights under a still instigated martial law.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

who gives a toss about what the EU thinks about the coup , Thailand is in Asia not Europe and has very little in common with them . They should be more concerned with Russia/Ukraine and the ISIS problems with insurgents returning to their countries .

Yes, who "gives a toss" about EU trade and tourism. Thailand should give up on international relations and just "dally" in its own provencial backyard.

[Thailand]

"BANGKOK: -- Reluctance to face critics in Europe is understandable, but who better than the junta leader to explain Thailand's democracy roadmap to the world?"

First stage a coup,remove a democratically elected government etc.

That's how we start on our democracy roadmap, surely all those foreigners will understand that?

[rickirs]

Milan, Italy may not be a very favorable venue for Generalisimo Prayuth to visit.

When Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was executed in 1945 by Italian partisans, his body was taken to Milan where it was hung upside down for public viewing.

Italy has a “direct democracy” or "pure" democracy as that makes frequent use of BINDING PUBLIC REFERENDUMS to determine government policy and laws. The referendums grant the electorate a veto on laws adopted by the elected legislature.

Given the Thai Junta's overthrow of an elected government, absolute dictatorial rule, aborgation of the nation's constitution, and disdain for public referendums, political gatherings, and elections, Gen. Prayuth may suffer some uncomfortable discussions and demonstrations during his visit. Maybe it would be best that he should stay in Thailand where he can surround himself with admiring fans, national police, and military forces.