Remarks by H.E. Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand

at the briefing to the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations

2 December 2013, Bangkok 

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Ambassadors, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

          A very good afternoon to all of you. Thank you for coming in to this briefing.   

          I wish to give you an update on the developments regarding the current political situation in Thailand and the efforts being made by the Government to resolve the situation.

          As you will recall, the street demonstrations had its beginning in the opposition to the draft Amnesty Bill proposed in Parliament. In heeding public sentiment, the Senate returned the bill to the House of Representatives. According to the House rules of procedure, it can act upon the bill only after a lapse of 180 days.

          Therefore, under the Constitution, the Government does not have the power to intervene as it now rests upon the House of Representatives to take action as appropriate.  

          However, in showing good faith, parties of the coalition Government made further concessions by signing a joint statement not to resurrect the Amnesty Bill in Parliament. The Prime Minister made it clear to the public on many occasions that the Government supports the action by coalition parties to drop this bill.

           Despite the public knowledge of these facts, the street protests led by former leading members of the main opposition party did not stop.

          Rather they have stepped up their protests by unlawfully occupying government compounds and causing disruption in public services.    

          The cause of demonstrations evolved into anti-government protests - calling for regime change.

          Obviously, this was their intention from the very beginning with the Amnesty Bill used as a pretext.

          As I mentioned in my message to you last week, this Government respects the constitutional rights of the people to conduct peaceful demonstrations.  We have also exercised utmost restraint in handling the situation.

          But what is becoming increasingly clear is that the intention of those who are behind the protests is to undermine democracy by resorting to unconstitutional means to seek a change of government.

They have increased pressure on the Government by employing every means, including unlawful ones, to escalate tension. Possibly, as an attempt to provoke and instigate violence with the hope of military intervention.

Last Friday, Mr. Suthep further escalated the protests by announcing plans to seize Government House, key government offices and state enterprises. All of you would have witnessed what transpired over the weekend.   

          Throughout, however, the Government has been tolerant in allowing demonstrations to take place, but only within the limits of the Constitution. We have complied with international practices and standards in maintaining law and order.

          The Government has also reached out to the various groups of demonstrators to resolve the situation through dialogue. Moreover, the international media can freely report the events as they see it without government interference.

          These efforts by the Government are not attempts to hold on to power, but rather to preserve and protect the rule of law and the democratic process under a Constitutional Monarchy.

          In a televised national address last Thursday, the Prime Minister proposed negotiations and a forum for dialogue be held among all sides to find a peaceful way out.

          Regrettably, the offer made in earnest by the Government was rejected outright by Mr. Suthep, other protest leaders, and the Democrat Party.

          They have then gone further by insisting that even house dissolution or resignation of the Administration are not enough. If such democratic options are not a way out, it is unclear what the protest leaders want.

          Instead they have called for establishing a so-called people’s assembly which is not only unacceptable but impractical and totally outside the framework of the Constitution. Such proposals would only turn back the clock for Thai democracy.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

          The fact remains that this Government is a democratically elected government, winning an overwhelming support of some 15 million voters.

          We have exercised our mandate within the bounds of the Constitution, in spite of its perceived flaws.

          We have upheld freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, but the exercise of such rights must be done within – not outside – the Constitution.

          We are aware that in any society, people hold different political views and perspectives and have the right to express them. But all sides should abide by the rules of the game – in respect of democratic norms and processes.

          Under the constitution, the majority has the legitimate right to form a government.

          If any side uses unlawful and undemocratic means to topple an elected government, then we can never break out of this vicious cycle. 

          The only way out is through national dialogue. But this is only  possible when everyone respects the rule of law, ready to reconcile and engage in good faith. This is the only way we can move the country forward.

          Unfortunately, those who are behind the protests have clearly shut the door to dialogue.

          The intent is to cause as much chaos and disruption as possible in the hope that the military would come out. They have resorted to all sorts of means to topple the government, as was the case in 2008 when they had the Government House, Suvarnabhumi airport and Channel 11 under siege.

          What this group is now trying is to justify something which is clearly unconstitutional under the guise of a so-called people’s revolt, with total disregard for democratic principles.

          Their sole objective is to remove this Government from office.  In addition to taking to the streets, they have tried to pursue their objective by resorting to the so-called independent bodies.

          It should be recalled that such was the situation that led to the downfall of both the Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat governments in 2008.

          However, contrary to what happened to the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, this time the military, particularly the heads of the armed forces, have not fallen into this political game.

          This is because they have learnt from past experience that staging a coup is not acceptable to the international community. It has proven not to be a sustainable solution.

          If we cannot resolve this through dialogue, we risk going down a dangerous path. It would be a real setback for Thai democracy. So how events unfold will determine the future of democracy in this country.

          I believe that it is in the interest of all of our friends that Thailand stays the course of democracy and the rule of law.

          Although this situation is a domestic affair which the Thai people themselves will have to solve, nonetheless we would appreciate a show of support for democratic principles from our friends.

          We further request you to closely observe the actions of protest leaders as well as the independent bodies for we do not want a repeat of the way the Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat governments were dismissed.

          We therefore urge the international community to consider taking the following actions.

          Firstly, to deter any attempts at undemocratic change, I hope you would make your stance for democracy clearly known;

          Secondly, we hope that the United Nations bodies and agencies could make a similar show of support, especially in light of relevant conventions and international laws.

          Once again, I would like to reiterate that the Government has refrained from use of force and exercised utmost restraint and is determined to resolve the situation by peaceful means. However, should the situation persist, we will take appropriate measures to enforce the law according to international norms and standards.

          We do not want to see violent clashes among Thai people resulting in loss of lives and injuries as happened in the past. We are also wary of third parties who have no regard for the national interest taking advantage of the situation for their own ends.   

          At the same time, I would appreciate if you could inform your capitals of the developments here in a levelled and factual manner.

          And may I also add that Thailand welcomes the statements made so far by several of your countries, as well as the UN Secretary-General, which have been constructive and balanced and reflect the approach taken by the Government.

          We will keep you informed of the developments and would like to assure you that in the face of this pressing situation, we are determined to fully discharge our governmental responsibilities, domestically and internationally.

          On the final note, the Prime Minister has assigned me to be head of Center for Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO).  Please follow closely CAPO announcements.

          Thank you.