Thailand's silence on Burma poll is deafening
Thai and foreign media held their breath when Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made his first official trip to Burma just weeks before the country's first elections in 20 years. The visit turned out to be nothing more than a business trip, with the prime minister showing far more interest in inking a US$13 billion (390 billion baht) deep-sea port investment deal in Dawei, formerly Tavoy, than in discussing the upcoming elections.
Mr Abhisit's silence at this crucial time only assists the junta's efforts to legitimise ongoing military rule under a new "civilian" guise. It would be naive to think the Thai government was unaware of the consequences of its own policy. In fact, in its silence, Thailand is joined by China, India, and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who regardless of election-day ballot-stuffing, see these elections as a golden opportunity to justify increased trade and investment with their resource-rich neighbour.
There are two possible reasons for the Thai government's silence, one being its own tenuous position since the crackdown on red shirt protests earlier this year. Since May, Mr Abhisit has faced intense criticism for the 92 casualties of mostly unarmed civilians, putting him in a tough position to call for human rights, freedom of expression, and the release of political prisoners in Burma. The other more significant reason for Thailand's "golden" silence on Burma's politics is that it remains Burma's top trade and investment partner.
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- Writer: Kriangsak Teerakowitkajorn and Emily Hong
