[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 789--URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF THAILAND TO PROTECT AND 
UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, THE RULE OF LAW, AND RIGHTS TO FREEDOM 
 OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Mr. Coons, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Duckworth, and Mr. Murphy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 789

       Whereas the Kingdom of Thailand and the United States of 
     America first established relations in 1818 and entered into 
     the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1833, formalizing 
     diplomatic relations;
       Whereas Thailand was the first treaty ally of the United 
     States in the Asia-Pacific region and remains a steadfast 
     friend of the United States with shared values of democracy, 
     rule of law, universal human rights, and a free market;
       Whereas the United States and Thailand in 1954 signed the 
     Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (Manila Pact), 
     pledging to ``strengthen the fabric of peace and freedom and 
     to uphold the principles of democracy, individual liberty and 
     the rule of law'';
       Whereas, through the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations 
     of 1966, along with a diverse and growing trading 
     relationship, the United States and Thailand have developed 
     strong economic ties;
       Whereas the United States recognizes Thailand as a founding 
     member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
     and host of the 35th ASEAN Summit in 2019, which reaffirmed 
     that body's commitment to ``a region of lasting peace, 
     security and stability, sustained economic growth, shared 
     prosperity and social progress'';
       Whereas Thailand was designated a major non-NATO ally in 
     2003, and is one of the strongest security partners of the 
     United States, a relationship that was recognized and 
     expanded upon in the United States-Thailand Joint Vision 
     Statement for the Thai-United States Defense Alliance in 
     2012;
       Whereas the Governments of Thailand and the United States 
     hold numerous joint military exercises, including Cobra Gold, 
     the largest annual multinational military exercise in the 
     Indo-Pacific region, which is hosted by Thailand;
       Whereas the Government of Thailand continues to be a 
     partner on humanitarian and refugee assistance, including 
     support from U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Air Field for 
     multinational relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean 
     tsunami and 2015 Nepal earthquake;
       Whereas Thailand ended absolute monarchy and transitioned 
     to a constitutional monarchy in 1932, and since then has 
     revised its constitution seventeen times, including a 1997 
     constitution that enshrined democratically elected 
     representatives in a bicameral national assembly and the 
     prime minister as head of government, and a 2007 constitution 
     that largely retained that structure;
       Whereas cycles of coups and military rule have been a 
     recurring feature of governance in Thailand for almost a 
     century;
       Whereas the Royal Thai military conducted a coup in 2014, 
     abolished the 2007 constitution, declared martial law, and 
     replaced the civilian government with a junta under the 
     leadership of Army Commander Prayuth Chan-ocha;
       Whereas the junta's National Council for Peace and Order 
     drafted a new constitution which was promulgated in 2017, and 
     served to erode Thailand's democracy and constitutional 
     protection of rights;
       Whereas, in March 2019, Thailand held elections that 
     several independent monitoring groups declared as deeply 
     flawed and heavily tilted to favor the military junta, whose 
     party, headed by Prayuth, formed a new government with the 
     support of the military-appointed and unelected Senate;
       Whereas, in January 2020, the opposition political party 
     Future Forward was dissolved and banned on order of the 
     Constitutional Court following a flawed legal process 
     premised on spurious charges;
       Whereas the Government of Thailand has failed to properly 
     investigate issues with respect to violent assaults against 
     democracy activists and government critics within Thailand, 
     as well as enforced disappearances and killings of exiled 
     Thai political dissidents across Asia;
       Whereas, since February 2020, tens of thousands of 
     protesters across Thailand, largely students and youth, have 
     peacefully called for democratically elected government, 
     constitutional reform, and respect for human rights;
       Whereas the Government of Thailand has responded to these 
     peaceful protests with repressive measures, including 
     intimidation tactics, surveillance, harassment, arrests, 
     violence and imprisonment;
       Whereas Prayuth declared a state of emergency on October 
     15, 2020, and characterized the growing pro-democracy 
     protests as threats to national security and public safety;
       Whereas more than 170 peaceful protesters have been 
     arrested since February 2020, many of them charged with 
     serious crimes, including sedition, that carry potentially 
     long prison sentences; and
       Whereas UNICEF has expressed concern about the potential 
     harm that children face amidst the ongoing protests in 
     Thailand and called on all parties to uphold children and 
     young people's right to freedom of expression and peaceful 
     assembly, and to protect them from all forms of violence and 
     intimidation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms the strong relationship between the United 
     States and Thailand based on shared democratic values and 
     strategic interests;
       (2) stands in solidarity with the people of Thailand in 
     their quest for a democratically elected government, 
     political reforms, long-term peace, and respect for 
     established international human rights standards;
       (3) urges the Government of Thailand to protect and uphold 
     democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and rights to 
     freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as 
     well as immediately and unconditionally release political 
     activists and refrain from harassing, intimidating, or 
     persecuting those engaged in peaceful protests, with 
     particular care for the rights and well-being of children and 
     students;
       (4) calls on the United States Government to support the 
     right of the people of Thailand to peacefully and 
     democratically determine their future; and
       (5) unequivocally states that a military coup to resolve 
     the current political crisis would be counterproductive and 
     risk further undermining bilateral relations between the 
     United States and Thailand.

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