Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post
The US ambassador received a rebuke this afternoon from Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya for Washington's perceived intervention in Thai domestic politics, diplomatic sources said.
Ambassador Eric John was summoned by Mr Kasit at 4.30 pm.
It followed a Sunday working breakfast involving US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and former Thaksin cabinet members Jaturon Chaisaeng, a red-shirt leader, and Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister and legal adviser to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra .
The Foreign Ministry considered the present political stand-off between the government and the red-shirted demonstrators led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to be a domestic affair. It needed no mediation from foreign partners, sources said.
Mr John was quoted as relaying a message from Mr Campbell, before flying on to Burma over the weekend, that the ``US was here not to mediate a solution or to offer support for any particular outcome, but to underscore US support for Thailand, the oldest treaty ally in Asia, and for the Thai people in this challenging period''.
The public highest level-yet US contact with the pro-Thaksin camp was seen as underpinning the red-shirted movement's proclaimed justifications, at a time the Abhisit government was trying desperately to disperse the demonstration and the ministry, in particular, was trying to nail down the fugitive Thaksin, who was believed to be behind the prolonged protest in the heart of the capital, the government source said.
The US embassy said the Sunday working breakfast was meant to hear views on the Abhisit's roadmap from all parties concerned. The invited government representative, the PM's deputy secretary general and acting spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn, had called on Saturday night to cancel his attendance.
The US ambassador had been hosting a few rounds of discussions in the past two months with various people including former PM Abhisit's secretary general Niphon Phromphan, former Thaksin administration's deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, and appointed senator Gen Lertrat Rattanawanit to see how Thailand would come out of the predicaments, sources said.
``We are neither anti-red or pro-red. We support principles (non violence, peaceful resolution), talk to all sides, and want to promote relations between our two countries and peoples, and not to take sides in a partisan political debate that is not ours to mediate or to resolve the conflict,'' an American diplomat said.
Mr Campbell publicly said Sunday that ``We strongly welcome the Prime Minister's roadmap for national reconciliation and commitment for new elections. We are also encouraged by the UDD's positive response to the roadmap. Restraint and foresight are critical for both sides at this time.''
The US, he said, remained cautious about progress as those who don't want peace or political progress continue to employ violence as a means to undermine resolution of political differences.
"Like the unfortunate shootings Friday night that resulted in the loss of lives. In addition to those injured directly, political violence damages the nation, undermines democratic institutions and legal mechanisms for dispute resolution.''
Military sources said the US has trid to assess what camp will govern Thai politics in futureand would like to balance its investment away from Democrat backing.
``Washington has been closely attracted to Thai politics all along. The US was one of the six countries that was concerned about terrorist action during the airport occupation in November 2008 and has issued a statement of concern over political developments since then,'' the military sources said.
In fact, the Abhisit coalition government has relied very much on intelligence information from the US as Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Mr Panitan said before the protests began in mid-March that the government had received intelligence from the US warning of possible sabotage at the protests.
The chronic political rallies in Thailand have caused concerns for all the Asean countries as well. Cambodia has reportedly lobbied some Asean members to issue a statement of concern right after the 10 April incident, which saw 27 deaths and over 800 injured.
However, thanks to friendly member Indonesia's and indecisive Vietnam chair' reluctance as well as strong protest by Kasit, no statement was issued.
Kasit had also to fly to Jakarta to brief his counterparts and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the Thai situation and took time to update the information to some 40 ambassadors who were attached to the Asean secretariat in Jakarta as well.
Previously, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has suggested Thailand consider mediation help from other countries to defuse its political crisis and avoid a slide into further violence.
Ambassador Eric John was summoned by Mr Kasit at 4.30 pm.
It followed a Sunday working breakfast involving US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and former Thaksin cabinet members Jaturon Chaisaeng, a red-shirt leader, and Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister and legal adviser to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra .
The Foreign Ministry considered the present political stand-off between the government and the red-shirted demonstrators led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to be a domestic affair. It needed no mediation from foreign partners, sources said.
Mr John was quoted as relaying a message from Mr Campbell, before flying on to Burma over the weekend, that the ``US was here not to mediate a solution or to offer support for any particular outcome, but to underscore US support for Thailand, the oldest treaty ally in Asia, and for the Thai people in this challenging period''.
The public highest level-yet US contact with the pro-Thaksin camp was seen as underpinning the red-shirted movement's proclaimed justifications, at a time the Abhisit government was trying desperately to disperse the demonstration and the ministry, in particular, was trying to nail down the fugitive Thaksin, who was believed to be behind the prolonged protest in the heart of the capital, the government source said.
The US embassy said the Sunday working breakfast was meant to hear views on the Abhisit's roadmap from all parties concerned. The invited government representative, the PM's deputy secretary general and acting spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn, had called on Saturday night to cancel his attendance.
The US ambassador had been hosting a few rounds of discussions in the past two months with various people including former PM Abhisit's secretary general Niphon Phromphan, former Thaksin administration's deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, and appointed senator Gen Lertrat Rattanawanit to see how Thailand would come out of the predicaments, sources said.
``We are neither anti-red or pro-red. We support principles (non violence, peaceful resolution), talk to all sides, and want to promote relations between our two countries and peoples, and not to take sides in a partisan political debate that is not ours to mediate or to resolve the conflict,'' an American diplomat said.
Mr Campbell publicly said Sunday that ``We strongly welcome the Prime Minister's roadmap for national reconciliation and commitment for new elections. We are also encouraged by the UDD's positive response to the roadmap. Restraint and foresight are critical for both sides at this time.''
The US, he said, remained cautious about progress as those who don't want peace or political progress continue to employ violence as a means to undermine resolution of political differences.
"Like the unfortunate shootings Friday night that resulted in the loss of lives. In addition to those injured directly, political violence damages the nation, undermines democratic institutions and legal mechanisms for dispute resolution.''
Military sources said the US has trid to assess what camp will govern Thai politics in futureand would like to balance its investment away from Democrat backing.
``Washington has been closely attracted to Thai politics all along. The US was one of the six countries that was concerned about terrorist action during the airport occupation in November 2008 and has issued a statement of concern over political developments since then,'' the military sources said.
In fact, the Abhisit coalition government has relied very much on intelligence information from the US as Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Mr Panitan said before the protests began in mid-March that the government had received intelligence from the US warning of possible sabotage at the protests.
The chronic political rallies in Thailand have caused concerns for all the Asean countries as well. Cambodia has reportedly lobbied some Asean members to issue a statement of concern right after the 10 April incident, which saw 27 deaths and over 800 injured.
However, thanks to friendly member Indonesia's and indecisive Vietnam chair' reluctance as well as strong protest by Kasit, no statement was issued.
Kasit had also to fly to Jakarta to brief his counterparts and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the Thai situation and took time to update the information to some 40 ambassadors who were attached to the Asean secretariat in Jakarta as well.
Previously, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has suggested Thailand consider mediation help from other countries to defuse its political crisis and avoid a slide into further violence.
3 comments:
the same could be said about the USA support for opposition in cambodia. it needs to be looked at from both sides, not bias toward current gov't in phnom penh. let this be a wake up call for all as it can be applied to the cambodian political shanenigan as well. all situations should be considered on the negotiation table, not bias, really! cambodia can be US ally as well, it depends on how the US is treating cambodia. i'm sure if cambodia is getting treated right, who knows? the two people can be the best of friends, etc... as well, you know! yes, there are more to cambodia than just a handful of some polticians, we know!
The solution is simple but Abhi-shit is not dare to do, he afraid of his life from his Boss to summon him into Palace.
It's a simple thing to solve if Abhi-shit obeys his people calling but he is choosing to obey to a Single eye man instead.
K.L
Oh well! AH Kashit Paranoia has lost touch with reality because he can't solve the fucken problem his illegal government is facing and it is natural for him to put the blame on somebody else such as Uncle SAM!
More blame game to come...
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