[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20364-20365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                THAILAND

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I remain deeply troubled by the military 
coup that occurred in Thailand on September 19. The forceful removal of 
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was an assault on the democratic 
institutions of that country and is a dangerous development for a key 
ally in an increasingly important region. Now, almost 2 weeks after the 
coup, it is apparent that the coup leaders had only a tentative plan 
for transitioning back to democratic rule and that their rhetoric about 
restoring democracy to Thailand may not be as sincere as some had 
hoped. As the military junta fumbles through its next steps, it is 
critical that the United States show strong leadership in helping this 
critical ally reinstitute a civilian democratic government and that it 
do so immediately.
  Mr. President, this coup is particularly troubling because it is a 
step backward from almost a decade of relatively positive democratic 
developments. During Thailand's last coup in February 1991, the 
military overthrew Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan and a bloody 
power transfer followed, culminating in what Thais call ``Black May.'' 
Those events kicked off a national dialogue that resulted in the 
establishment of a new constitution in 1997 that restored authority to 
civilian democratic institutions, ultimately ushering in democratic 
elections in 2001 and 2005. Thaksin's party, Thai Rak Thai--``Thais 
love Thai''--won both of those elections in landslide victories.
  This recent coup rolls back these developments. There is no doubt 
that Thailand was suffering from extreme political divisiveness during 
Thaksin's tenure. When I met with him in Bangkok earlier this year, he 
was in the throes of a political battle against a growing opposition 
movement. He was also under fire for mishandling the insurgency in 
Thailand's three southern-most provinces in which 1,700 people have 
been killed since January 2004. It was evident that his ability to 
effectively manage the Thai Government had been diminished.
  But this hardly provides justification for a military junta to 
overthrow a popularly elected government and to discard the nation's 
constitution. This new military junta, led by General Sonthi 
Boonyaratglin, and awkwardly self-titled the ``Council for Democratic 
Reform Under Constitutional Monarchy'', is deeply troubling.
  This coup is a significant setback for Thailand's democracy. While 
the coup occurred in a matter of hours, it may take years before a new 
civilian and democratic government restores full authority and 
legitimacy in Bangkok. Unfortunately, this new military council has 
banned political gatherings and has put some restrictions on the media. 
It has disseminated a wide range of other decrees and rules, many of 
which have troubling consequences for freedom of expression and the 
democratic process. Given these early signs, we have no reason to 
believe that this council will be any different in nature than previous 
military juntas. Additionally, this coup could have negative 
consequences for Thailand's simmering human rights problems and the 
insurgency in the south. The coup leaders have already stated that they 
will focus on quelling a separatist insurgency in southern Thailand. 
This is worrisome if the military council relies on a strictly military 
approach to the unrest.
  The coup is also bad for the region. Events in Thailand are sending 
the wrong message to democracies throughout the region that are dealing 
with legacies of military coups. Secretary Rice has dismissed the 
notion that this could have a contagion effect throughout the region. 
While I hope this is true, we should not ignore the fact that a number 
of countries in Southeast Asia are still dealing with the legacies of 
military dictatorships. Indonesia is recovering from years of 
dictatorial military rule, and the Republic of the Philippines is still 
working to strengthen its democratic institutions and repair its recent 
history of military intervention. The coup is also, significantly, 
going to have a direct impact on Thailand's ability to serve as a 
broker between Burma and the rest of the world.
  Finally, it will have an impact on U.S. interests in the region. 
Thailand is a critical strategic partner of the United States, and some 
may be tempted to maintain warm relations with the Thai military. Our 
close political and military relationship goes back decades and is a 
vital component of U.S. national security policies in the region. But 
this friendship must take into consideration the dangerous behavior of 
those who led this coup. We must resist the temptation to give the 
leaders of this coup a free pass. Instead, we must take strong action.
  We need to signal a real sense of urgency to restoring legitimacy to 
the democratic institutions within Thailand. It is imperative that the 
Thai military restore the authority of democratic institutions in 
Thailand expeditiously. President Bush needs to weigh in decisively. 
The U.S. Government must signal that it will not accept this new 
interim authority as the status quo and that the Thais must take 
immediate actions to restore democracy to Thailand. There are four 
specific things that must occur.
  First, the United States must pressure the military council to 
schedule national elections immediately. General Sonthi has promised 
elections by October 2007. This is insufficient. Elections should be 
held at the earliest possible date, understanding the logistical

[[Page 20365]]

requirements involved in preparing to hold a national election. This is 
essential and is the only way the military council can prove that it 
does intend to reintroduce democracy to Thailand.
  Second, the administration must immediately put into place sanctions 
that are required under U.S. law. This means cutting off military 
assistance now. As we learned in Indonesia, this in itself will send a 
powerful message to the Thai military that usurping democracy does not 
pay. The administration would do itself a favor by making the 
conditions for reinstituting military-to-military relations clear from 
the outset. Still, this must be a clean break and must be leveraged in 
the future to help restore democracy.
  Third, the United States must work vigorously with other key players 
in the region to create a united front of disapproval for the coup. The 
United States can't be alone in its criticisms or in applying pressure 
on the Thai junta. Secretary Rice's use of the phrase ``U-Turn'' 
doesn't cut it. We need a strong message that recognizes the grave 
nature of these developments. ASEAN members, in particular, have a 
strong role to play. Thailand's neighbors and regional partners must 
speak out about this coup in strong ways and must use their economic, 
political, and social leverage to help reinstall democracy in Thailand.
  Finally, and until national elections can be carried out, the 
military council must lift all restrictions on democratic parties, the 
press, and political leaders. This includes Thaksin supporters. Those 
who broke the law under the Thaksin Government should be held 
accountable in the courts of law, not a military junta. Political 
opposition parties must be allowed to convene, and press freedoms must 
be established.
  Mr. President, I close by reiterating the concern I laid out at the 
beginning of this statement. The military's end-run of the country's 
democratic institutions will undermine Thailand's important role 
throughout the region and the world and will therefore harm our own 
country's national security interests in the region. Thailand is a 
critical partner in the region and in the broader fight against 
terrorist networks. We need a strong, democratic Thailand to serve as 
our partner. We can't do this if this new military dictatorship derails 
a democratic government. The United States and international community 
must urge the Thai military to take the necessary action to restore 
Thailand's democracy.

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