Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post
On the Cambodian dispute, he advised the government to separate politics from boundary issues and think carefully before retaliating to jibes.The government needs to get over its obsession with Thaksin Shinawatra or it will lose what remains of its withered credibility overseas, says former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai.
Thailand's post-coup standing in the international arena was deteriorating and it had lost the confidence of its neighbours, Mr Surakiart told a Chulalongkorn University forum yesterday.
Thailand had also lost its unique role as a regional coordinator and venue provider for sensitive issues, said the foreign minister who served under Thaksin.
"We've dropped off the radar as a positive influence on the international community, and joined the negative radar for our ongoing domestic political rifts that destroyed several international meetings hosted here last year," he said.
Thailand could reverse the harm it had done to itself if domestic politics, especially its obsession with self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin, were detached from foreign affairs.
"Thailand needs to make friends with its neighbours again," he said.
"Informal meetings, phone calls, short visits or quick lunches must be reintroduced at both ministerial and leader levels with key countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and China."
On the Cambodian dispute, he advised the government to separate politics from boundary issues and think carefully before retaliating to jibes.
"Of course, the leader of one country slamming another is a disgrace and we all know that [Cambodia] should also detach itself from nationalism when it approaches issues concerning Thailand.
"Thankfully, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not respond to the latest provocations, which could have spurred on the latest bilateral dispute even more."
Mr Surakiart said Thailand consistently underestimates other countries.
"We need to overhaul the way we evaluate situations regarding our neighbours. They have dignity, connections and friends much more than they had in the past, which is why Thailand's veto of Cambodia's unilateral listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site was unsuccessful," he said.
9 comments:
Keep out of Preah Vihear Khmer, you dirty siamese monkeys.
The Thais thief planting illegal border markers behind Ta Moan Thom temple,
http://www.everyday.com.kh/non_members/channels/news/khmer/2010/02/11l_18721_tamoa.htm
If Thailand has planted illegal border markers behind Ta Moan Thom temple, please keep its for Sam Rainsy to pull it out.
Sam Rainsy, would you dare to uprooting the border markers behind Ta Moan Thom temple?
Good Mr Surakiart for your ground understanding of Cambodia, but you should also teach and tell the Thai younger generation to understand about the fact of history as well, so that two countries will live in a harmony. Cambodia always want to live in peace, but we have enough nuclear in our heart to fight back if Siam troops invaded our land even a milimettre.
you guys should also have nuclear in heart regard yuon aggression, yuon massacere against cambodians and youn colonisation of cambodia, not only with siamese
Good at you Surakiart, at least there are people like you who still have some dignity and sense of morality to denounce abhisit ill game. I applaud your courage
thailand lost a lot of credibility since those siem pad thugs took over, really! they're a bunch of snotty, problematic children!
Mr. Surakiart Sathirathai, you're really one of the well-known leaders in Thailand. You should be the country PM, not that current guy. Thailand's image in the international stage would have been different from currently.
Thank you for your advise to the current Thai gov't.
Mr. Surakiet. With your view about how Thai should be fair toward its neighbors espsecially Cambgodia, the PAD and especially Abbhishit will think that you are a traitir to your own country. I believe that the world will applaud your objective advices regardless of how monkey Abbhishit and the rat PAD will respond to your advices.
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