Foreign policy: Not impressive despite claims

Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul has the audacity to claim huge diplomatic achievements for Thailand with him at the helm. But if we examine his one-year record, it shows that the biggest achievement of his career has been to protect Thaksin Shinawatra from further embarrassment. He has done so very well, maintaining Thaksin as the de facto prime minister of Thailand, and helping him to travel unrestricted.
Other countries have no choice but to comply with Thai requests for issuing visas to Thaksin. After all, the felon is the big brother of incumbent Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra. Of course the government won the election with a massive majority, but it’s intriguing that Surapong says it’s not the Foreign Ministry’s job to pursue Thaksin’s case and bring him back to serve his two-year jail term. Surapong does what is personal, not what is in the national interest.
However, one year at the tiller of foreign policy is a mere blip. It is hard to judge any tangible success when so many schemes take years to bear fruit. Surapong tries to point out his achievements, yet he is the main problem, because Thaksin put him in his position to fulfil personal obligations. He has done so, so he should leave before more damage is done to Thailand’s credibility.
To be fair, he has done well in administrating the ministry, attending especially to the welfare of ministry officials. Other than that, it is difficult to claim any success. He has seen ambassadors re-appointed from Thaksin’s list of nominees.
Thailand’s biggest failure is its Asean policy, in which Surapong has shown no competence at all. He doesn’t say much about Asean because he cannot. Other Asean members expect Thailand to play an active role in the ongoing disputes over islets in the resource-rich South China Sea. What they get is utter silence. Diplomats based here, especially those from Asean countries, have complained that Surapong has offered them no opportunity to meet.
Claims of improved ties with neighbouring countries are not manifest. Thai-Cambodian relations have not really improved in real terms, nor the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s suggestions on the border dispute between the two countries. Indonesian observers continue to wait on the sidelines. Of course, border trade and other business continues as usual, regardless of this government.
The only change is that there is good rapport between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Prime Minister Yingluck. Hun Sen disliked her predecessor, Abhisit Vejjajiva, because the Democrat leader represents everything he is not. But we will find out whether this rapport means anything when the ICJ delivers a decision on Khao Praviharn in the first half of next year.
Thailand’s relations with the major powers, especially the US, are not yet ideal. The government can safely say that ties with China have improved under its leadership because of old connections and the Pheu Thai Party’s preference for China. But Thai-US ties are out of synch at the moment.
Still, the strategic importance of the two countries has been neglected because of continued government confusion on decisions regarding bilateral security and technical cooperation.
It is important to have someone who is passionate about protecting our national interests, not personal ones. Otherwise, Thai foreign policy will be the loser.