Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BANGKOK2722
2008-09-10 11:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:
2008 ASEAN LECTURE: SAMAK UNSCRIPTED, ADVOCATES UN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 002722
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN TH BM
SUBJECT: 2008 ASEAN LECTURE: SAMAK UNSCRIPTED, ADVOCATES UN
MONITORING OF BURMA 2010 ELECTIONS
REF: A. BANGKOK 2461
B. BANGKOK 2621
Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 002722
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN TH BM
SUBJECT: 2008 ASEAN LECTURE: SAMAK UNSCRIPTED, ADVOCATES UN
MONITORING OF BURMA 2010 ELECTIONS
REF: A. BANGKOK 2461
B. BANGKOK 2621
Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Then Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaraej
delivered a brief keynote address, "ASEAN: A New Era with a
People Agenda," at the annual ASEAN Lecture on September 8 to
an audience of Ambassadors and high-level officials. After
reading his speech from teleprompters, Samak followed with
unscripted remarks on Burma. He then noted that he had to
leave for a "crucial meeting" in Udon Thani -- his only
reference to his ongoing political strife. Samak
nevertheless found time to sing several Thai folk songs in
the lobby before departing. End Summary
The formal ASEAN lecture...
--------------
2. (SBU) PM Samak, as the leader of the ASEAN chair country,
delivered the sixth annual ASEAN lecture at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs on September 8, 2008. In opening remarks,
Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Banditkun and ASEAN SecGen Surin
Pitsuwan reiterated Thailand's goals during its ASEAN
chairmanship: establish an ASEAN Human Rights Body, set up a
dispute settlement mechanism, and the posting by member
states of Permanent Representatives to the ASEAN Secretariat
in Jakarta (refs).
3. (SBU) Samak's scripted speech underscored Thailand's
commitment to turning ASEAN into a "people oriented"
organization and his hope to have a fully ratified charter by
December. He urged Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines
to join the other ASEAN members in ratifying the Charter.
Samak said that he anticipated the ASEAN Human Rights Body
would be completed by the end of Thailand's chairmanship in
December 2009. He also added a fourth "R" to Thailand's
"Three Rs" strategy for its chairmanship: reaffirming the
spirit of the founding fathers of ASEAN when they signed the
Bangkok Declaration on August 8, 1967 (Note: The other Three
Rs are: Realization and implementation of the new ASEAN
Charter; Revitalizing ASEAN as a people-centered
organization; and Reinforcing human security. See reftels for
more info).
...and classic informal Samak
--------------
4. (C) In classic Samak fashion, the PM ended his official
speech by saying, "these are the things that I was supposed
to say," before ad-libbing on another issue; this time, the
topic was Burma. Samak told the audience that the Burmese
Ambassador to Thailand had suffered a heart-attack two days
earlier; explained he had sent flowers to him; reminisced
about his past trip to Burma; and urged ASEAN to help Burma
by inviting the UN to monitor Burma's elections scheduled for
2010. He added, "I intend to persuade Burma to accept a
helping hand from the UN." Despite his insistence that he
had to depart immediately for Udon Thani, where a
pro-government rally and a mobile cabinet meeting awaited,
Samak then stopped in the lobby to grab the microphone and
sing several Thai folk songs with a traditional Thai band
that had been providing background music for the scheduled
post-speech reception.
JOHN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEAN TH BM
SUBJECT: 2008 ASEAN LECTURE: SAMAK UNSCRIPTED, ADVOCATES UN
MONITORING OF BURMA 2010 ELECTIONS
REF: A. BANGKOK 2461
B. BANGKOK 2621
Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Then Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaraej
delivered a brief keynote address, "ASEAN: A New Era with a
People Agenda," at the annual ASEAN Lecture on September 8 to
an audience of Ambassadors and high-level officials. After
reading his speech from teleprompters, Samak followed with
unscripted remarks on Burma. He then noted that he had to
leave for a "crucial meeting" in Udon Thani -- his only
reference to his ongoing political strife. Samak
nevertheless found time to sing several Thai folk songs in
the lobby before departing. End Summary
The formal ASEAN lecture...
--------------
2. (SBU) PM Samak, as the leader of the ASEAN chair country,
delivered the sixth annual ASEAN lecture at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs on September 8, 2008. In opening remarks,
Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Banditkun and ASEAN SecGen Surin
Pitsuwan reiterated Thailand's goals during its ASEAN
chairmanship: establish an ASEAN Human Rights Body, set up a
dispute settlement mechanism, and the posting by member
states of Permanent Representatives to the ASEAN Secretariat
in Jakarta (refs).
3. (SBU) Samak's scripted speech underscored Thailand's
commitment to turning ASEAN into a "people oriented"
organization and his hope to have a fully ratified charter by
December. He urged Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines
to join the other ASEAN members in ratifying the Charter.
Samak said that he anticipated the ASEAN Human Rights Body
would be completed by the end of Thailand's chairmanship in
December 2009. He also added a fourth "R" to Thailand's
"Three Rs" strategy for its chairmanship: reaffirming the
spirit of the founding fathers of ASEAN when they signed the
Bangkok Declaration on August 8, 1967 (Note: The other Three
Rs are: Realization and implementation of the new ASEAN
Charter; Revitalizing ASEAN as a people-centered
organization; and Reinforcing human security. See reftels for
more info).
...and classic informal Samak
--------------
4. (C) In classic Samak fashion, the PM ended his official
speech by saying, "these are the things that I was supposed
to say," before ad-libbing on another issue; this time, the
topic was Burma. Samak told the audience that the Burmese
Ambassador to Thailand had suffered a heart-attack two days
earlier; explained he had sent flowers to him; reminisced
about his past trip to Burma; and urged ASEAN to help Burma
by inviting the UN to monitor Burma's elections scheduled for
2010. He added, "I intend to persuade Burma to accept a
helping hand from the UN." Despite his insistence that he
had to depart immediately for Udon Thani, where a
pro-government rally and a mobile cabinet meeting awaited,
Samak then stopped in the lobby to grab the microphone and
sing several Thai folk songs with a traditional Thai band
that had been providing background music for the scheduled
post-speech reception.
JOHN