In this photo released by the Thai Spokesman Office, Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, left, talks with Myanmar's Chairman of State Peace and Development Council Senior Gen. Than Shwe, right, during their meeting in Naypyitaw, Myanmar Friday, March 14, 2008. Samak was in Myanmar for a one-day visit in a bid to shore up economic ties between the two countries as Thailand is one of the biggest foreign investors and trading partners of military-ruled Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thai Spokesman Office, HO)Thailand's new PM scolds Western nations for picking on Myanmar's ruling junta
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand's new prime minister said Sunday that Westerners are overly critical of Myanmar and he has newfound respect for the ruling junta after learning that they meditate like good Buddhists should.
"Westerners have a saying, 'Look at both sides of the coin,' but Westerners only look at one side," Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said in his weekly television talk show, two days after an official visit to Myanmar.
"Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Myanmar's leaders meditate. They say the country lives in peace," Samak said, noting that he has studied Myanmar for decades but just learned that the junta meditates. Both countries are predominantly Buddhist.
Myanmar's junta has come under global criticism for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year and its detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but Samak said he preferred to talk about bilateral trade not democracy during talks with junta chief, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Many Western nations, including the United States and members of the European Union, maintain economic and political sanctions against the regime for its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
But Thailand and most other Southeast Asian nations are less critical and encourage companies to do business there.
Samak said he discussed investment opportunities for Thai companies in Myanmar, especially in the area of production and exploitation of natural gas and hydropower projects.
"We want to do something about dams. Than Shwe told me, 'You can do it here and here and here. Find the investors and do it," said Samak, whose coalition government took office last month. "Myanmar only uses a small amount of electricity. Thailand needs electricity."
Blackouts and power cuts are common in Myanmar, where the military regime has distributed electricity under a rationing system for the past decade, barely keeping up with rising demand.
The power rationing does not affect so-called "VIP areas" where senior government and military officials reside.
Thai state-owned energy companies are the largest purchasers of gas from Myanmar, contributing almost US$2 billion (€1.3 billion) a year to the military regime.
"They found new gas resources. I negotiated with them so we can sign contracts," Samak said, adding that the junta wants to build a pipeline to its largest city, Yangon. "Myanmar doesn't have money to build the pipeline. Thai companies will do that for them."
He said Thailand's approach to dealing with Myanmar was in the spirit of good neighborly relations.
"We have three neighbors: Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar," he said. "We use their resources, all three of them. If we have this great relationship, why should we pick on them?"
Thailand also borders Malaysia.
"Westerners have a saying, 'Look at both sides of the coin,' but Westerners only look at one side," Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said in his weekly television talk show, two days after an official visit to Myanmar.
"Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Myanmar's leaders meditate. They say the country lives in peace," Samak said, noting that he has studied Myanmar for decades but just learned that the junta meditates. Both countries are predominantly Buddhist.
Myanmar's junta has come under global criticism for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year and its detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but Samak said he preferred to talk about bilateral trade not democracy during talks with junta chief, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Many Western nations, including the United States and members of the European Union, maintain economic and political sanctions against the regime for its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
But Thailand and most other Southeast Asian nations are less critical and encourage companies to do business there.
Samak said he discussed investment opportunities for Thai companies in Myanmar, especially in the area of production and exploitation of natural gas and hydropower projects.
"We want to do something about dams. Than Shwe told me, 'You can do it here and here and here. Find the investors and do it," said Samak, whose coalition government took office last month. "Myanmar only uses a small amount of electricity. Thailand needs electricity."
Blackouts and power cuts are common in Myanmar, where the military regime has distributed electricity under a rationing system for the past decade, barely keeping up with rising demand.
The power rationing does not affect so-called "VIP areas" where senior government and military officials reside.
Thai state-owned energy companies are the largest purchasers of gas from Myanmar, contributing almost US$2 billion (€1.3 billion) a year to the military regime.
"They found new gas resources. I negotiated with them so we can sign contracts," Samak said, adding that the junta wants to build a pipeline to its largest city, Yangon. "Myanmar doesn't have money to build the pipeline. Thai companies will do that for them."
He said Thailand's approach to dealing with Myanmar was in the spirit of good neighborly relations.
"We have three neighbors: Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar," he said. "We use their resources, all three of them. If we have this great relationship, why should we pick on them?"
Thailand also borders Malaysia.
11 comments:
"Westerners have a saying, 'Look at both sides of the coin,' but Westerners only look at one side,"
What else is new?
burma is a huge, rich and beautiful country, the size of texas and has similar culture and people like that of cambodia. cambodia should be friends with burma.
It's seem like the asian country only look at coin one side only a dictator country do that and like to corrupt with each other."ANANIKUM AMERICA'S RULES!"
Burma is one of us (Mekongers) and we'll be brothers forever. We can divorce our wife, but we cannot divorce our brother.
It come to my concern, if the junta is meditates, why they crack down the democratic protest which including Buddhist monks. Do junta have an excellent meditates than Buddhist monks?
I think it is a lie. Normally, sorry that I say the truth, Asian including me is not like to say the truth and candid. The reason is that Samak look at the interest from Myannar better than democracy. It is surely truth as Thailand support Khmer Rough leaders during 1980s war along Cambodian-Thai border.
I urge Burmese or Cambodian don't fall a sleep any more. I love all Burmese people, Thai people, Cambodia people, Loatian people, but I don't like their leaders who not led the country democratically and frequently use violent against their people. I believed that Asian will be more propered if all country acts with democratic rule and a good intergration among all its ASEAN members.
Independent Economist.
The Thai supports the Burmese dictator. Wait until the South Muslim turns the Thai upside down, then they won't support them. They support the Junta because they want to use the tactic to kill all the South Muslims. They don't care what their neighbor's people lives. The Junta and the Hun Sen are both the same. They both need to be eliminated from the earth. We can't let them ruin the country and their people any longer. We need to stand up as the Tibet people and Kosovo people do. Otherwise, we won't see the future of Cambodia.
Whoever say the Junta are their friends, these people need to kiss my ass first. They're low class and uneducated people who couldn't see black and white.
Those are not monks, 8:50. They are politicians. No one will pray with politician.
We don't care what the Muslim do, 8:58. We will uphold the "One Thailand" policy 100%.
So much for Thaicong theory and logic and it is such a shame to see how the Thaicong used Buddhism religion to exploit Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar for their economic interest.
The Thaicong are nothing but an S.O.B backstabber motherfucker! These days the Thaicong are engaging in border conflict with Cambodia with the aim to slow down Cambodian economic progress by creating all kinds of problem with UNESCO and not only that the Thaicong are exporting dirty coal power plants to Cambodia under AH HUN SEN corrupted government to kill Cambodian tourism!
To beat the Thaicong at their game is to adopt Western technology through Western education but this is going to take sometimes for about 30 years to 50 years and for the short cut is to license technology directly from Western countries or whoever has the technology! Cambodia has a lot to learn from South Korea and Singapore in playing catch up with the rest of the world!
We are on Singapore's path right now, 1:35, but because Singapore got a huge step ahead of us, it is difficult to tell.
I don't think these two guys are in violation of the international laws by getting together to share good-time stories. In fact, they appeared to get along with each other (without foreign interference of thier internal affairs). Therefore, I say: "There's nothing wrong for old pals getting together."
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