Thai PM Arrives in Vietnam

By SAW YAN NAING

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Thursday flew to Vietnamese capital Hanoi on the second leg of his tour of Southeast Asia

According to an official at Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister would visit Vietnam for three days. The official told The Irrawaddy that after a Thai premier assumes office, it is traditional that he pay official visits to all member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and hold bilateral talks with the leaders of those countries.

Somchai began his tour of nine countries on Monday in Laotian capital Vientiane. No further details of his schedule were announced.

According to Thai News Agency, Somchai planned to attend the third Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy summit in Hanoi on Thursday and Friday, which was initiated by Thailand and will include representatives of Burma.

Thailand’s foreign policy on Burma has been often criticized by Burmese dissents and observers for its support of Burma’s military rulers and for prioritizing bilateral trade between the two nations.

According to an editorial in the English-language daily Bangkok Post on Tuesday, “One can not choose one’s neighbors, but the prime minister indicated far too strongly that the Burmese government is Thailand’s friend,” in reference to remarks made by Somchai at the Asean-Europe Meeting in Beijing in late October.

“For the benefit of Asean, whose European members have applied the world’s strongest sanctions on Burma, Somchai dragged out that tired old canard: If the world pours respect, praise and aid on the dictatorship, the generals will respond with democratic reform and freedom for the heavily oppressed opposition,” said the editorial.

Somchai also told the Europeans recently that the terrible human and economic toll of Cyclone Nargis in May had also brought some positive effects, said the report, adding: “It is difficult to know why Thai foreign policy is so supportive of the Burmese dictatorship.”

Thailand is ranked third among foreign investors in Burma, with investment reaching US $1.34 billion in 2007, while the United Kingdom and Singapore were identified as the first and second largest investors in the country, according to Thailand’s Foreign Trade Department.