New US ambassador has a lot to answer for
The United States cannot expect its newly appointed ambassador, Glyn T Davies, to quickly repair the damage that President Barack Obama and his government have done over the past few years to the longstanding and cordial relations between our countries. A
First, the US has tried to use its Trafficking in Persons report, which assigned Thailand to the lowest level, Tier 3, to coerce us into joining the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Vietnam and Malaysia are not Tier 3 simply because they have agreed to attend TPP negotiations, while Thailand has convicted more traffickers during the past year than those two countries combined. Another stark example is Cuba, which is designated Tier 2.
Second, the US has been interfering in Thailand’s domestic affairs over the past few years, criticising the coups of 2006 and 2014, and at the same time has openly backed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his political parties.
Thaksin has hardly shown himself to be the personification of democracy. On the contrary, he fled the country after being convicted of a criminal offence, demonstrating his irresponsibility as a citizen, much less a national leader. Literate Thais are not satisfied with Thaksin continuing to play a role in politics. Third, Asia is becoming the global centre of power. Hence, the US should stop adopting a lopsided attitude towards Thailand, its oldest ally in the region. Doing so will only drive her even closer to China, which is becoming more and more influential in this part of the world.
Vint Chavala
