[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18584-18585]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            COUP IN THAILAND

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I have come to the Senate floor many times 
to talk about our great interest in the nations of Southeast Asia and 
to call for increased engagement and more attention to the relations 
between the United States and Southeast Asia.
  In the early winter of 2006, I spoke about the tsunami and the impact 
that had on the region. Many of us, particularly from farm country, 
remember what happened when Thailand's currency collapsed in 1997. It 
brought a tremendous decline in the region and a decline in our 
exports. We were previously exporting $12 billion of agricultural 
product--much from the Midwest--to that region, and that drop of $12 
billion caused the precipitous drops in the prices of commodities sold 
by many farmers in the grain States. So we know that it is an important 
trading partner.
  But yesterday, a military coup took over the Government in Thailand 
while its Prime Minister, Thaksin Chinnawat, was in New York at the 
U.N. Prime Minister Thaksin had been a successful businessman. He had 
strong support from Thailand's largely rural population but with 
opposition to the urban dwellers. In 2005, his Thai Rak Thai--which 
means ``Thais love Thais''--I cannot understand why we didn't think of 
something clever like that as a name for a political party--captured 
374 out of 500 seats in the House of Representatives. The opposition 
party boycotted it, however. There was discussion of potential 
corruption by the sale by the Prime Minister of his telecommunications 
and satellite business. He had controversies with the military, 
beginning when 87 Muslim protesters in southern Thailand died in 
security custody, and the Prime Minister was attempting to put his own 
people in charge of the military.
  After the election, the King stepped in and asked the court to review 
the election. They set it aside, and Thaksin essentially resumed power 
as Prime Minister even though the election was overturned.
  Now, it is with great concern and disappointment that we see the 
military coup. Our neighbors in the region have spoken out. They have 
expressed concern, great disappointment. And it is clear that for the 
cause of the country and the region, the constitutional process must be 
restored in Thailand and an election date set for a new democratic 
government very shortly.
  America has had in Thailand one of its best allies. We conduct 
numerous joint military exercises. Thailand was responsible for the 
capture of the infamous radical Islamic terrorist Hambali, who 
masterminded the Bali bombing. We have worked closely with them.
  Thailand has been the economic stronghold of Southeast Asia. It is 
also a constitutional monarchy, with well-developed infrastructure and 
a free-enterprise economy and proinvestment policies. I think the 
economy will recover. As far as democracy, King Bhumibol, a benign 
monarch who served for 60 years, exercised his considerable influence 
to keep Thailand moving in that direction. Thailand, which, during the 
late 20th century, experienced numerous coups and military coups, had 
not had one since 1991. I believe King Bhumibol will push for a 
democracy and will get back on the negotiations between Thailand and 
the United States for a free-trade agreement.
  As I said, Thailand is key in the region. I have described that 
region as the second front in the war on terror because al-Qaida-
related radical Islamist groups have been conducting terrorist attacks 
here. It is set forth in a book by Ken Conboy, describing the most 
dangerous terror network. There is concern that since the bombings in 
southern Thailand have shown that there are insurgents--some 1,700 
people have died--that this might become a haven, a breeding ground for 
the radical Islamists, rather than the insurgents in the three southern 
provinces of far south Thailand.
  My view is that is an overreaction. I think the insurgents have 
issues with the Government, but to this point, I don't see evidence 
that they will become a host for al-Qaida or other related groups. They 
generally have practiced the moderate Muslim viewpoint of Islam of the 
Southeast Asia region.
  Also, at the same time, I might mention, as we are speaking about the 
battle against terrorism and modern Islam, I visited Malaysia in 
August. Malaysia, again, has been a country that has been making great 
progress. It is a democratic nation committed to progress and 
development and has aspired to the peaceful and tolerant teachings of 
Islam. It is a key economic partner. It is our 10th largest trading 
partner overall. It has been growing at 5 percent annually. We are in 
negotiations for a free-trade agreement with them. Malaysia imports 
more from the United States than any country, other than Japan, in that 
region. I believe that a free-trade agreement will help build on that 
constructive partnership in fighting terrorism and ensuring other 
security issues.
  Despite all this, I saw a disturbing trend while I was there; that 
is, the

[[Page 18585]]

possibility that some of the more radical views of extremism and 
intolerance in religion may be raising their ugly head in religion in 
Malaysia.
  Most recently, a Malaysian woman who was born Azalina Jailani, 
changed her name to Linda Joy, and has been waiting for the federal 
courts to approve her conversion from Islam to Christianity. It was 
reported that when her application came to change her religion, it was 
rejected, and she was sent back to the Sharia or religious courts. Her 
lawyer has been arguing before Malaysia's highest court that Joy's 
conversion be considered a right under the constitution and not a 
religious matter.
  We are watching this case with great interest. There are reports that 
provinces in Malaysia are going to change their law to implement the 
Sharia, or harsh religious law, as law of the province.
  Sixty percent of Malaysia's people are Muslim, and Christians of 
various denominations make up about 8 percent. The rest are Buddhist, 
Taoist, and Hindu. We look forward to seeing a decision reasserting 
Malaysia's commitment to democratic principles and a rejection of 
intolerant religious laws.
  Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has been an outspoken 
champion of tolerance. He has pointed out the obvious political dangers 
of taking that road, but I hope he will not succumb to the pressures 
that appear to be increasing to move down a path toward less tolerant 
and potentially more extremist forms of religion.
  The pressures for adopting harsh religious laws are also being 
applied to Indonesia where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been 
another strong advocate of tolerance, freedom, and democracy.
  The Muslim countries in that region, we hope, will continue on a path 
of secular, pluralistic, democratic societies or the choice is to see 
them turn from that path to a potential breeding ground for terror and 
instability.
  Speaking of terror and instability, one country where I am not 
fearful of that occurring is Cambodia, which I also visited in August. 
I was stunned to see the World Bank put out a list of ``failed states'' 
with the danger of becoming harbors for terrorism, and they listed 
Cambodia.
  To me, Cambodia is definitely heading in the right direction in terms 
of fighting terrorism. They are making great economic progress. We have 
been cooperating with them. They have contributed to counterterrorism 
efforts in the region.
  Prime Minister Hun Sen said:

       If we aren't active enough in fighting terror, we risk 
     becoming the hostage.

  They set up a national committee to fight terrorism. After the 
attacks on the United States on 9/11, Cambodia offered overflight 
rights to support our operations.
  Cambodia has contributed peacekeepers to Sudan. The United States has 
provided international military education and training funds for the 
first time, and we are planning military exercises with Cambodia later 
this year.
  The IMET contribution of $45,000 is small, but it shows we are 
willing to work with them and ensure their military has civilian 
control, appropriate rules of engagement, and other means of conducting 
themselves in this very difficult time.
  There is an economic issue that I hope we can resolve successfully 
with respect to Cambodia because they are moving on the path toward 
what we would want to see, and that is democracy and human rights in 
this part of the world and free markets.
  The economy of Cambodia has been growing since 1999, boosted by a 
bilateral textile agreement, and we believe that has been a reason for 
the strong economic growth.
  Mr. President, I don't see any other Senators wishing to take the 
floor. I ask for 2 additional minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, Cambodia has adopted international labor 
rights and standards touted by the International Labor Organization as 
a model for other developing countries, and they are beginning to 
flourish. This is a country that has half its population under the age 
of 20 because of the unbelievable depredations of the Khmer Rouge in 
the late seventies and widespread murder and genocide. But it is on the 
right track.
  However, with the expiration of the bilateral textile agreement, 
countries such as Cambodia are now losing out in the competition with 
economies such as China and India. I strongly support and hope we can 
pass a measure to enhance economic opportunities such as the Tariff 
Relief Assistance for Developing Economies, or TRADE Act, that will 
allow least developed countries, such as Cambodia, to remain 
competitive by enhancing economic growth. They need to create a better 
investment environment.
  They are clearly not a Thomas Jefferson democracy yet. They have had 
a very colorful and very deadly past, but we think that with our help 
and support, they can redevelop what was once Southeast Asia's rice 
basket--prior to the Khmer Rouge's destruction of small irrigation 
infrastructure and the execution of anyone with agricultural 
expertise--again to a strong contributing economy.
  We must adopt initiatives such as these for Cambodia and for other 
countries in the Southeast Asia region. We have to work to continue 
improving education, emancipation, economic development, and promoting 
democracy in Southeast Asia, as around the rest of the world.
  Doing so is not only good neighborly, it will not only help the 
Southeast Asian nations move toward economic and political reform, but 
it will be the most important thing we can do against the war that 
radical Islam has declared upon our world and keep these countries from 
turning to the extremist violence, the terrorism we now see primarily 
in the Middle East and have seen too frequently, as noted in ``The 
Second Front,'' in Southeast Asia.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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