US statement 'wounded' Thailand, Deputy Foreign Minister says

[webfact]

THAI-US RELATIONS
US statement 'wounded' Thailand, Deputy Foreign Minister says


Don//Photo by Adisorn Chabsungnuen

BANGKOK: -- Thailand on Wednesday expressed disappointment at the recent comments made by a US top official, saying the US is interfering with its domestic political situations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the statements made by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel during his visit in Bangkok had caused "wounds" to Thais.

He was speaking after meeting with Patrick Murphy, charge d'affairs of the US Embassy in Thailand at the Foreign Ministry. The meeting was held at the order of Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha.

Don said Murphy was "invited" to the meeting as Bangkok wanted to explain the facts of the political situations in Thailand.

However, observers said the nature of the meeting could be considered as a protest as it took place early in the morning and just hours after the prime minister's order.

Russel visited Thailand on Monday and met with former premiers Yingluck Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva as well as Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapagorn.

He implied during an address at Chulalongkorn University that the impeachment of Yingluck was "politically driven".

"The perception of fairness is important. I’ll be blunt here: When an elected leader is deposed, impeached by the authorities that implemented the coup, and then targeted with criminal charges while basic democratic processes and institutions are interrupted, the international community is left with the impression that these steps could be politically driven".

Don told a press conference that Thais felt that Russels' statement at Chulalongkorn University and his visit were wounding.

"Instead of taking opportunity to say something good particularly the promotion of good bilateral relations, he (Russel) talked about domestic politics which is not useful and tarnished Thailand's images," Don said.

"It is very disappointing and we regard it as interfering with Thailand's domestic political affairs," the deputy minister said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/US-statement-wounded-Thailand-Deputy-Foreign-Minis-30252836.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-28

[brucec64]

Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the statements made by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel during his visit in Bangkok had caused "wounds" to Thais.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

[Snig27]

Don Pramudwinai's understanding of the world would perhaps indicate that his skills are better suited to the golf course or karaoke bar.

Twitter and Facebook seemed to be full of Thais cheering Russel's remarks rather than professing wounds.

[Costas2008]

And if Thais start being against the USA, Americans will be very surprised..........

What have we done to them to be against us?

[Thai at Heart]

Ooooh so precious.

What would they like him to say? If the Thai use this as an excuse to get even closer to China they really must have a really stupid government.

[taony]

Not useful and tarnished Thailand's image.

But no denying it wasn't true!!

[GinBoy2]

Costas, you do seem to like Junta's very much, maybe it seems to mirror so much of Greece's history.

As I seem to recall the Greek generals justified their coup, 'to save the nation'"Ethnosotirios Epanastasis"

I am assuming that you would also have had had some stern words to condemn any nation that had dared to criticize or even mildly rebuke that 'saving the nation' coup?

In fact after this weekend, maybe it's time for another coup to save the Greek nation??

Edited January 28, 2015 by GinBoy2

[Lannig]

Not even one full page of messages and we've already drifted vastly off-topic. Waoh.

[daveAustin]

Oh diddums, I feel hurt and wounded. I wonder how he'd react if someone insulted his mother!

[thesetat2013]

Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the statements made by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel during his visit in Bangkok had caused "wounds" to Thais.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

What truth? The USAs? The only truth they know is the one they give to you. They should never have commented on another countries internal affairs without expecting some kind of reply like this. They should never have gone to YL or Abhisit thinking they could get the truth or even an un-opinionated reply. Especially YL who thinks she is the Democratic Queen of Thailand and that everything she did was OK because she was voted (hehee) into her position. I can just imagine their meeting with her crocodile tears saying they are after her and she did nothing wrong and blaming everyone else. The US should stick their noses up their own bu--- about internal matters and talk to Thailand only about international matters.

[Thailand]

Not a lot of happiness going around at the moment?

[Caveat Emptor]

We will continue saying and doing whatever we want but don't dare upset us.

[cigar7]

I think that actions of the current military government are improving Thailand.

The US seems to be supporting the complacency with corruption of the previous government. Could the US be involved in proliferating and supporting corruption throughout Thailand?

Edited January 28, 2015 by cigar7

[iReason]

"Don said Murphy was "invited" to the meeting as Bangkok wanted to explain the facts of the political situations in Thailand."

Attitude adjustment? Tin Pots...

"Instead of taking opportunity to say something good particularly the promotion of good bilateral relations, he (Russel) talked about domestic politics..."

Well, that backfired didn't it Don? Read the news outside Thailand much?

"When an elected leader is deposed, impeached by the authorities that implemented the coup,

and then targeted with criminal charges while basic democratic processes and institutions are interrupted,

the international community is left with the impression that these steps could be politically driven".

BTW Don, that's news.

Uncle Too must be steaming!

Buck up boys. It's just starting.

Your honeymoon is over.

Edited January 28, 2015 by iReason

[Jeremy50]

Stop blubbing you big crybaby. The Thai people aren't hurt just because you say they are.

[MaxLee]

Shame on Mr. Russell to make the interim ruling party losing face....

[vegetariantutor]

As a long term expat living the relatively quiet life here must agree with the Deputy ministers comments

and feel wounded ? yes for all Thai national and also for the hundreds of thousands of other foreign nationals who for now fault on their own found this wonderful country been torn apart with the terrible bad feeling, being handed out by bad press, slanging matches by many people where fanatical thugs run riot on the streets many unnecessary deaths,

now these recent comments passes by an American diplomat who was in essence making what was reported as a protest with reference to a political person being removed from office was termed as "politically motivated"

lets now be honest the present leaders of this nation are really in the forefront of the movement to bring Thailand back from the brink of a terrible "abyss" and they need and should have our 100% full support we trust that they are aware of this as a fact and lets hope with our support they manage to keep Thailand rising fore ever up wards and away from such a serious confrontational 'Abyss " seen in so many countries around the world even now

let us tell all these people to deal with all the negative problems in their own countries and leave our sovereign nation to Deal squarely with what is a internal problem and to be blunt and tell them "mind your own Business "

Edited January 29, 2015 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[chotthee]

Not useful and tarnished Thailand's image.

But no denying it wasn't true!!

It wasn't true at all.

[oneday]

Boo hoo

Don told a press conference that Thais felt that Russels' statement at Chulalongkorn University and his visit were wounding.

Really? "...Thais felt..." this way. More like the non-elected military government felt this way.

[webfact]

Thai junta chief 'upset' by US criticism

AFP

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's junta chief said Wednesday he was "upset" by comments from a senior US diplomat during a recent visit criticising the military regime, as Washington's top envoy in Bangkok was summoned for a meeting with Thai officials.

On Monday US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel urged Thailand's generals to implement a "more inclusive political process" after meeting ousted former premier Yingluck Shinawatra.

He added that moves against Yingluck since the military takeover -- which have included a retroactive impeachment by the country's rubber-stamp parliament, and corruption charges -- could be perceived as being "politically driven".

But the visit and Russel's decision to meet Yingluck have hit a raw nerve with Thailand's junta rulers, who took over in a May coup strongly condemned by Washington.

"I have instructed the foreign ministry to convey the message that we are upset over the comments and that they (the US) have not understood how we work," junta chief and premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters Wednesday, placing his right hand on his heart as he spoke.

His comments were echoed by Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai who said Russel had "wounded the hearts of many Thai people", adding that he had "invited" the current head of Washington's embassy in Bangkok -- Charges d'Affaires W. Patrick Murphy -- to talk about the visit.

The military's takeover of Thailand -- which has been accompanied by martial law, a ban on political protests and severe curtailments on free expression -- has strained Washington's relationship with its longtime ally.

The US suspended $4.7 million in security-related aid to Thailand, roughly half of its annual assistance to the kingdom, following the coup.

Last week Yingluck was impeached by a junta-stacked parliament, meaning an automatic five-year ban from politics, and prosecutors announced corruption charges that could see her jailed for 10 years.

During a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Russel -- the most senior US official to visit Thailand since the coup -- said "the perception of fairness is important" while stressing the US was not taking sides in Thai politics.

"When an elected leader is deposed, impeached by the authorities that implemented the coup, and then targeted with criminal charges while basic democratic processes and institutions are interrupted, the international community is left with the impression that these steps could be politically driven," he said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-01-28

[Thai at Heart]

As a long term expat living the relatively quiet life here must agree with the Deputy ministers comments

and feel wounded ? yes for all Thai national and also for the hundreds of thousands of other foreign nationals who for now fault on their own found this wonderful country been torn apart with the terrible bad feeling, being handed out by bad press, slanging matches by many people where fanatical thugs run riot on the streets many unnecessary deaths,

now these recent comments passes by an American diplomat who was in essence making what was reported as a protest with reference to a political person being removed from office was termed as "politically motivated"

lets now be honest the present leaders of this nation are really in the forefront of the movement to bring Thailand back from the brink of a terrible "abyss" and they need and should have our 100% full support we trust that they are aware of this as a fact and lets hope with our support they manage to keep Thailand rising fore ever up wards and away from such a serious confrontational 'Abyss " seen in so many countries around the world even now

let us tell all these people to deal with all the negative problems in their own countries and leave our sovereign nation to Deal squarely with what is a internal problem and to be blunt and tell them "mind your own Business "

When foreign companies buy products from Thai companies, Thai companes are expected to conform to the basic minimum of Thai law, not even foreign law as it is seen as a basic protection of the rights of Thai people not to be exploited. Basically eveyone supports this because it prevents Thai people from being oppressed so that they can have basic rights to live and support themselves. So we support their rights as long as we make profit.

But apparently when Thais basis rights are taken away by the barrel of a gun, for some bizarre reason foreigners who would never support such an action in their own country claim that the fundamental and basic rights of Thai people don't extend to a vote and self determination. So they have the right to work for 300 baht a day supported by foreigners but they are not afforded such rights to vote.

The hypocrisy is incredible

[noitom]

The scale of Thailand's hubris is surpassed only by the descriptive hubris portrayed in the Thai press.

[tx22cb]

This Don character was the Thai Ambassador to Washington as recently as 5 years ago, so he's not a buffoon, but silly claims about "wounding Thais"

1) make him sound like a thin-skinned tosser

2) make Prayut seem weak - when in reality Prayut cares not one iota about Mr Russel

Instead of ineffective whimpering, Don should come out guns ablazing and ban future visits from officials of the State Department.

[Thai at Heart]

This Don character was the Thai Ambassador to Washington as recently as 5 years ago, so he's not a buffoon, but silly claims about "wounding Thais"

1) make him sound like a thin-skinned tosser

2) make Prayut seem weak - when in reality Prayut cares not one iota about Mr Russel

Instead of ineffective whimpering, Don should come out guns ablazing and ban future visits from officials of the State Department.

How to make friends and influence people......Not.......

All of this stuff is so much better conducted behind closed doors. Giving Yingluck a public audience is a very very big finger to the junta. They presumably think it is the right thing to do. I don't like this type of public posturing, but that said, the junta takes no notice either way.

The USA doesn't want to deal with Prayuth. So be it.

[MaxLee]

"He eats bread and you eat rice,.... "

[baboon]

Cheer up, babycakes, you'll get over it..

[Scully]

For goodness sake you can't expect democratic nations in the west to agree with an unelected government. This diplomat has clearly shown how America feel about military rule, how did they think America would react?.

Whether the coup was needed or not is immaterial to the US, Thailand should be happy it's only petty visits and not sanctions.

[Thai at Heart]

Daniel Russel is a diplomatic novice and doesn't have clue as to what he did. He needs to be recalled by the US. He has no real diplomatic experience, and was only a staffer before being appointed by Obama in July 2013. Enough - get rid of him.

I think by definition, resorting to shoot the messenger might well suggest that he has some credibility to what he said, n'est pas?

[bubblegum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oei2lB9MBo0#t=10

Us foreign diplomacy

[lucky11]

Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the statements made by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel during his visit in Bangkok had caused "wounds" to Thais.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Maybe if he looked at the facts (relating to the extensive damage Yingluck has done) and tried to understand the actual situation in Thailand - and stopped reading his manual of US governance and how to inflict it on other nations then he might come to a different and more informed conclusion as to why it was necessary to bring peace and stability to the Kingdom by turfing her out and impeaching her for her costly, reckless and incompetent governance.