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'We Have Earned Respect' [interview



Subject: 'We Have Earned Respect' [interview with Surin]

Asiaweek 

October 22, 1999 

 'We Have Earned Respect' 

Thailand's Surin on East Timor and ASEAN 

 
   Surin Pitsuwan, 50 next week, became Thailand's foreign minister two
years ago. His visionary
notions -- like suggesting ASEAN members should review their principle of
non-interference in one
another's affairs -- don't always sit well with the neighbors. "He should
draw in his horns a little bit," said
Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Surin is now in the hot seat again
over Thailand's
commitment to send ground troops to East Timor and its handling of a recent
hostage drama in
Bangkok's Myanmar embassy. Excerpts from an interview with Senior
Correspondent Roger Mitton: 

Why are Thai troops going to East Timor? 

East Timor has a tremendous implication for the region. If the problem is
allowed to fester, it will give an
impression of insecurity and lack of collective responsibility. But [Prime
Minister Chuan Leekpai] made
it clear that for any Thai involvement, two conditions must be fulfilled.
One is a precise and unanimous
decision by the United Nations Security Council; the other is that it must
be at the request of Indonesia.
That direct request came from [President B. J.] Habibie and [army chief]
Wiranto. The regional
collective response has given the international effort a more credible and
effective way to handle the
problem. 

But some ASEAN members are against involvement in East Timor. 

They have their own feelings. We [in ASEAN] have differences in our
political and economic structures,
cultures, values. We cannot expect the ten countries to respond in the same
way. Those willing and
capable have responded -- in varying degrees, because each is different. 

What about Australia's leadership of Interfet, the international peacekeepers? 

You have to face the realities. Australia has been most prepared, most
willing and most equipped to
take on this role. None of the Southeast Asian nations was prepared to do
it. If you can't do it yourself,
then you have to go with the second best. 

Do you agree with the notion of "hot pursuit" into West Timor? 

If there are sorties from East Timor into West Timor, we will have to work
with Indonesia. We don't
cross a border unless given a clear indication that it's allowable. In this
case, I don't think it's possible.
[Interfet,] including Australia, will have to understand the situation. 

What do you think of the "Howard doctrine" of Australia taking a more
proactive role in the region? 

In terms of security, stability and economic prosperity, certainly
Australia has a contribution to make.
But how much, when, and in what manner -- that will have to be decided by
the region's countries. It
cannot be unilateral. It cannot be perceived as imposing or provocative. It
has to be mutually accepted
and perceived as mutually beneficial. 

Turning to Myanmar, your interior minister said that the gunmen who
occupied the embassy in
Bangkok were student activists fighting for democracy, not terrorists. Do
you agree? 

His statement was made in the context of the negotiations. In that
dangerous, pressure-cooker situation,
you want to avoid any irritation. It was a conciliatory statement to secure
the safety of the hostages. But
the act certainly was a terrorist act. 

Australia suggests a more creative approach to Myanmar, like the creation
of a human-rights
commission. Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi calls this "misguided."
What is your view? 

Any sincere effort to help should be welcomed. We have a common interest in
seeing the standstill
moving in a more relaxed manner. The Australian approach is contributing to
the collective effort to
encourage this process. That Australia took the initiative to send its
human-rights commissioner to
Yangon already represents a step forward. Five, six years ago, I wouldn't
think this was possible. 

Critics say you are impetuous -- say, about the idea of reconsidering
ASEAN's principle of
non-interference. 

I made my proposal and recent events have shown that I was not too far
ahead of my time. Anything
new and different will face some suspicion, but I don't think anyone would
question my sincerity. Things
have changed. We have lost our traditional leadership in ASEAN. Each
individual member should be
able to pursue [its own initiatives], rather than being told, "Look you
can't do that, because you need a
consensus." That would deny members their potential for growing. 

Would you like Thailand to have a higher profile in international affairs? 

Certainly. We have a contribution to make. We are trying to achieve
prosperity along with political
openness. We have been quite successful and have earned respect. Take the
WTO issue. Running a
candidate for the next director-general was part of the strategy to build
up our own confidence. Amid
the Crisis, we were willing to send one of our best public servants to take
part in setting rules for a key
international issue -- trading. At least we have our own ideas and concerns
to inject into the process.
For the first time in a long while, the international community is asking,
"What's Thailand's position on
this or that issue?" 

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