2005 HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

UNCLAS BANGKOK 006875

SIPDIS

FOR DRL ASSISTANT SECRETARY LOWENKRON FROM AMBASSADOR BOYCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: APER PHUM TH
SUBJECT: 2005 HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- EMBASSY BANGKOK NOMINATION

REF: STATE 175014


1. I nominate Michael D. Sweeney for the 2005 Human Rights
and Democracy Award. Mr Sweeney has spearheaded the
Mission's initiatives on improving the human rights practices
of the Royal Thai Government (RTG) and the expansion of
democracy-related capacity-building programs. He has been a
tireless and deeply committed promoter of universal human
rights and through his efforts the Mission's goals have been
greatly advanced.


2. Mr. Sweeney researched and drafted the Thailand chapter
of the 2004 Country Human Rights Report (HRR) at an
especially sensitive time. The ongoing violence in
Thailand's southern border provinces had caused hundreds of
deaths from separatist attacks and in several notable
instances, from actions by government security forces.
International attention and RTG sensitivities made Mr.
Sweeney,s report particularly significant, especially in
light of global efforts to address potential terrorist
threats while ensuring the protection of basic human rights
and freedoms. Michael Sweeney,s Thailand Chapter for the
2004 Human Rights Report was praised as one of the best in
the region. His analysis and findings -- balanced, detailed
and clearly written -- were widely praised by human rights
observers within Thailand and in the East Asia region.


3. Michael Sweeney has enthusiastically and actively worked
to implement democracy-enhancing programs on the ground in
Thailand. He very successfully implemented a Department
grant supporting Thai citizenship for hill tribes. Working
closely with USAID, Michael was the prime shaper of a USD 1
million program to improve freedom of the press in Thailand.


4. Human right issues and the promotion of democracy are
important elements in the U.S - Thai relationship -- from the
situation of civil rights activists in Thailand to the stance
of the RTG towards the military regime in Burma. In support
of our policymakers, Michael Sweeney has been tireless in
producing well researched and prolific reporting. He
produced follow-up reporting on the Thai reactions to the
2004 Human Rights Report, Human Rights NGOs, assessments of
trends in Thailand, individual third country asylum seekers
in Southeast Asia, and RTG positions on United Nations human
rights initiatives.


5. It was Mr. Sweeney,s reporting on the aftermath of the
October, 2004 incident at Tak Bai in southern Thailand -- an
incident in which over 80 protesters died in the hands of RTG
security units -- that received particular attention. This
event brought into stark relief the conflict between
government law enforcement elements and the civil population
they were commissioned to protect. His description of the
event from videos taken at the scene riveted the attention of
Department consumers and removed any doubts over the actions
of security personnel on that day.


6. The plight of human rights activists and legal advocates
was another area where Mr. Sweeney provided exhaustive and
regular coverage. He maintained, for example, a reporting
watch on the status of missing Thai Muslim attorney Somchai
Neelaphajit -- widely believed to have been abducted by
police elements, followed the legal fight of media activist
Suphinya Klangnarong in her fight against a criminal libel
case brought by a firm related to the Prime Minister and
reported on the free-speech-related case of a prominent
government critic, retired Squadron Leader Prasong Soonsiri.


7. Mr. Sweeney authored several of the most relevant cables
sent from Bangkok in the past year on other highly
significant democracy and human rights-related political and
foreign policy subjects. For example, one, an analytic
election piece entitled "Thaksin's Victory -- Credit the Man,
Innovative Policies, and the Thai Rak Thai Political
Machine," was one of the best domestic political process
articles produced by the Embassy on the Thai general
election. Mr. Sweeney,s cable on the views of the new
Foreign Minister toward Thai-Burma relations, "New Face, Same
Policy," was very highly appreciated by the Washington
audience.


8. Michael Sweeney has exemplified the highest standards of
dedication and skill in support of U.S. human rights and
democracy promotion policies.
BOYCE