    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [July 30, 2008]
    [Pages 1083-1086]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With Suthichai Sae-Yoon of the
    Nation Multimedia Group in Thailand
    July 30, 2008

    President's Visit to Asia

        Mr. Suthichai. You plan to deliver a major speech in Bangkok on
    Asia. Is that your farewell speech? What will be the main theme, sir?
        The President. A farewell speech will occur shortly before the next
    President is sworn in. This will be probably my last speech in the Far
    East.

    President's Visit to Asia/U.S Foreign Policy

        Mr. Suthichai. What is the main theme?
        The President. The main theme is that the United States of America
    has got strategic interests in the Far East. This administration has
    worked hard to make sure we have good relations with all the countries
    of the Far East, that there are opportunities to work together to solve
    problems. There will be moments--and it's--the United States must stay
    engaged. I will talk about accomplishments; I'll talk about challenges.
    And I'm looking forward to giving

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    it. It's interesting that I'm giving a speech about the whole Far East
    in Thailand.
        Mr. Suthichai. Right. Why Thailand?
        The President. Well, because it's--first of all, the assumption is
    that when you give a comprehensive speech in the Far East, it would be
    in, you know, China or Japan or, you know--and Thailand is, one, a long-
    time friend; two, is an important part of ASEAN. In other words,
    there's--the Far East is more than just the countries that dominate the
    news. And so therefore, if you're going to give a comprehensive speech,
    you give it in a country that makes it--just by the sight alone,
    indicates how comprehensive the policy must be. In other words, you
    can't ignore other countries if you focus only on a few.

    Thailand-U.S. Relations

        Mr. Suthichai. Right. You are also joining the celebration of 175
    years----
        The President. One hundred and seventy-five years.
        Mr. Suthichai. ----of Thai-U.S. relations. At this juncture in
    history, why is Thailand still important to the United States?
        The President. Common values, close friends. Hopefully, Thailand
    views us a reliable ally; we certainly view Thailand as a reliable ally.
    And you know, it's just--175 years is a long time.
        Mr. Suthichai. That's right--always had been close related in all
    major challenges.
        The President. Absolutely.

    Thailand

        Mr. Suthichai. Vietnam war----
        The President. Very much so. The Thai people were just fabulous and
    always have been. And it's a great country, and it's a beautiful country
    with a great history and tradition, and I'm looking to going again.

    Democracy in Thailand

        Mr. Suthichai. What would be the single most important pillar in
    Thai-American relations, if you can cite one?
        The President. Democracy. And obviously, we're pleased that
    democracy is still very much alive and well in Thailand. And I think
    democracy is the pillar, and the Government's respect for human rights
    and human dignity and individualism.

    Human Rights Activists

        Mr. Suthichai. I understand that you are meeting some Burmese
    dissidents too.
        The President. I am. Of course I am. I will, as is my wife.
        Mr. Suthichai. Yes, the First Lady has shown great concern about
    Aung San Suu Kyi.
        The President. Absolutely, and as should the world. Here is a very
    heroic woman that was elected overwhelmingly
    by her people and has now been under house arrest by a group of military
    guys that just simply won't allow the will of the people to flourish.
    And so we're concerned about that. And I do want to thank the Thai
    people and the Thai Government for its humanitarian missions on the
    border. I think it's very constructive and very helpful. And I will be
    speaking to activists to let them know that the United States of America
    hears their voices. And you know, it's a tough issue for some countries.

    First Lady Laura Bush

        Mr. Suthichai. Will the First Lady meet the dissidents and also call
    for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi?
        The President. I'm sure she'll do that. I mean, she does that all
    the time. You know, I'm not sure exactly what her schedule is. You
    caught me off guard about her schedule, but I can assure you it will be
    comprehensive, and she'll make a very good impression.

    Burma

        Mr. Suthichai. Why haven't the sanctions against Burma worked?
        The President. Because not every country is applying them. And
    sanctions--the idea of unilateral sanctions, they're effective only

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    to a certain extent. And therefore, other countries must also join, and
    frankly, there's some countries in the neighborhood that aren't
    interested in joining.

    2008 Beijing Olympics/China-U.S. Relations

        Mr. Suthichai. Yes. You are going to Beijing Olympics.
        The President. Yes, sir.
        Mr. Suthichai. What is the signal? Because some people say that you
    are going there as a sports fan, but are you going as a sports fan or as
    President of the United States?
        The President. I'm going as the President who happens to be a sports
    fan. [Laughter]
        Mr. Suthichai. Right.
        The President. No, the signal--look, there's a couple of signals,
    and it's very important to understand, one, is I don't think the
    Olympics should be politicized. I mean, it is a sporting event of the
    greatest caliber. Secondly, I am going out of respect for the people of
    China. This is a big deal for the Chinese people, and I'm--and that's
    why I'm going. Thirdly, I will have, and always have had, very frank and
    candid discussions with the Chinese Government on a variety of issues.
        And I'm confident that by showing respect to the people, to the
    Olympics, it will give me--put me in a position to continue to having
    frank and candid discussions. It's--when you show respect to a group of
    people, it gives you credibility when it comes time to discuss difficult
    issues. And we will discuss difficult issues in a very cordial and
    respectful way.

    Freedom Agenda/China-U.S. Relations

        Mr. Suthichai. Yesterday you met five Chinese dissidents----
        The President. Yes, sir, I did.
        Mr. Suthichai. And what did you tell them? Are you going to tell the
    Chinese leadership about their concerns?
        The President. Of course I will. I do it every time I meet--oh,
    absolutely. I mean, their concern is religious freedom and political
    freedom. And I discuss religious freedom and political freedom with the
    Chinese leaders every time.
        Mr. Suthichai. And they don't seem offended?
        The President. No, I don't think so, because they know it's done out
    of respect. It's done out of--you know, in a way that I hope is--in a
    way that they will listen. That's my whole point. If you treat a people
    with respect and when it comes time to discuss your differences, people
    will be more willing to listen. And, look, I'm the only President to
    have ever stood up in public with the Dalai Lama.
        Mr. Suthichai. Right.
        The President. I told President Hu Jintao I was
    going to do that. He didn't like it, but I did it.
        Mr. Suthichai. You did it anyway.
        The President. Yes, I did. And so my only point is there are moments
    of great opportunity for us to work together on a variety of fronts, and
    we have. And there are going to be moments of disagreement. But I've
    worked hard to make sure those moments of disagreement are done in such
    a way that it doesn't rupture relations or doesn't embarrass somebody or
    doesn't humiliate. And I think when people look at my Presidency, when
    it's all said and done, they'll say, ``It's amazing that the Bush
    administration had good, strong relations with South Korea, Japan,
    China, Thailand, India.'' And I happen to believe that it's--it enhances
    the stability of the region and helps all of us grow in a constructive
    way.

    President's Legacy

        Mr. Suthichai. What is going to be your legacy?
        The President. Oh, I don't know. I'll be dead when they finally
    figure it out.
        Mr. Suthichai. But what do you want history to remember you----
        The President. Somebody who took on tough challenges and didn't shy
    away from doing what he thought was right. And, you know, look, I'm a
    big believer in freedom

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    and liberty. That's been a hallmark of my agenda. But I--there's no such
    thing as short-term history, so I am very confident in telling you that
    I'll be long gone before somebody finally figures out the true merit and
    meaning of the Bush administration.

    Six-Party Talks/North Korea

        Mr. Suthichai. Were you impressed by the meeting between Secretary
    of State Condi with the North Korean representative in Singapore
    recently?
        The President. I thought it was--what impressed me was that the
    foreign ministers all--at the six-party talks, all said the same thing
    to the North Korean: If you want to move forward,
    verify, honor your commitments; if you don't honor your commitments,
    then there will be additional sanctions and additional measures.
        Mr. Suthichai. Are they positive?
        The President. The visits? Yes, I think they've been positive.
    There's just some fundamental questions. There's a lot of doubt as to
    whether or not the six-party talks will bear fruition. One thing is for
    certain: They destroyed their cooling tower. Everybody saw that.
        Mr. Suthichai. Right, right.
        The President. But will they verify their plutonium programs and HEU
    programs and proliferation programs? I hope so. They said they would.
    Now, whether or not they put a verification regime in place that we can
    trust, we'll see.

    President's Future

        Mr. Suthichai. Sir, last question--is there life after the White
    House?
        The President. Absolutely. I'm only 62 years old.
        Mr. Suthichai. What do you plan to do?
        The President. You know, I'm going to write; I'm going to share my
    experiences. I'm going to build a policy center and library at Southern
    Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Hopefully, I will contribute to
    mankind in positive ways. I haven't really had time to think about it
    because when you're the President of the United States, you got a lot to
    think about day by day. But I'm looking forward to finishing strong, and
    then I'm going home to Texas. That's where I was raised, that's where
    I'm from, and that's where I'm going to retire.
        Mr. Suthichai. That's good, sir. Thank you very much.
        The President. Yes, sir.

    Note: The interview was taped at 2:25 p.m. in the Map Room at the White
    House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the President referred to
    Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma;
    Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama; and Chairman Kim Jong Il of North
    Korea. Suthichai Sae-Yoon referred to Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun of
    North Korea. The transcript was released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on July 31. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of this interview.