[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18908]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THAILAND'S BUSINESS AS USUAL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in the struggle for freedom in Burma, I 
am becoming increasingly convinced that Thailand is on the side of the 
representative junta in Rangoon.
  To with, the Foreign Minister of Thailand was recently quoted: ``We 
are trying to find an exit for the Myanmar Government, the also reduce 
pressure from the international community.''
  Instead of trying to find an ``exit'' for the repressive State Peace 
and Development Council, SPDC, Thailand should be trying to secure the 
release of democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other democrats 
jailed in the wake of the brutal May 30 attack on the National League 
for Democracy, NLD.
  Thailand's ``business-as-usual'' approach places that country at odds 
with other Associated of Southeast Asian Nation, ASEAN, members--
including Malaysia. Given the SPDC's refusal to release Suu Kyi and 
other Burmese democrats, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir rightly 
commented that Burma could be expelled from ASEAN ``as a last result.''
  Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must defend democracy in Burma 
and should join with Malaysia and other ASEAN members in holding the 
SPDC accountable for their actions.
  Thailand should take note that I included a provision in S. 1426, the 
fiscal year 2004 Foreign Operations appropriations bill, that 
conditions United States assistance to that country on a determination 
by the Secretary of State that Thailand: one, supports the advancement 
of democracy in Burma and is taking action to sanction the military 
junta in Rangoon; two, is not hampering the delivery of humanitarian 
assistance to people in Thailand who have fled Burma; and three is not 
forcibly repatriating Burmese to Burma.
  It is past time for Thailand to prove its commitment to the cause of 
freedom and the rule of law in Burma. The Thai Foreign Minister has an 
opportunity to set the record straight in Bali this week. He should not 
miss it.

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