[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 30 (Monday, August 4, 2008)]
[Pages 1059-1061]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Suthichai Sae-Yoon, the Nation Multimedia Group, Thailand

July 30, 2008

President's Trip 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 Trip 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 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

[[Page 1060]]

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 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.

Olympic Games/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

[[Page 1061]]

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 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 
Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama of Tibet; and Chairman Kim Jong Il of 
North Korea. Suthichai Sae-Yoon referred to Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of 
the National League for Democracy in Burma; and 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.