July 14, 1993

THAI PM UNSURE OF APEC'S PURPOSE
Eric Ellis, Bangkok

THAILAND's Prime Minister, Chuan Leekpai, says the objectives of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum are not clear.
Nor does Thailand know the purpose of the summit proposed by the Prime Minister, Mr Keating, and President Clinton.

"We must say we still do not know the clear objectives (of the summit meeting in Seattle), even the call by President Clinton himself wasn't clear that there was anything beyond the desire to have a leaders' meeting," he said.
However Mr Chuan did add that "meetings among the leaders can only be beneficial" and pointed to APEC as a successful effort by Australia.

Asked if Thailand would continue to support the institution of APEC over the longer term, he said only "if (APEC) produces concrete results, practical results, then it will be a worthwhile investment".

Mr Chuan also reservedly supported Malaysia's APEC alternative, the East Asian Economic Caucus, and pointed to the Association of South-East Asian Nations as the core body for regional security.

Mr Chuan was speaking earlier this week as he gave his first interview to the Australian media, held with The Australian Financial Review at the Tamniap Brathaban, Thailand's Government House.

In a wide-ranging discussion, the Thai Prime Minister went further than expressing reservations about APEC and the proposed regional leaders' meeting in Seattle later this year.

He also said Australia should be commended for its pro-Asia foreign policy, but cautioned that Asians would need time to accept Australia as part of the region.

And Mr Chuan said a republican Australia was not essential to establishing Australia's Asian credentials.

In other points, Mr Chuan:

* Expressed support for Malaysia's proposed East Asian Economic Caucus but cautioned against developing a regional trade bloc.

* Reiterated that Thailand's foreign policy would focus on ASEAN and that any regional security dialogue should spring from ASEAN.

* Gave assurances that democracy was secure in Thailand and the military were no longer a threat to stability.

* Said the priority of his government was to disperse prosperity more evenly across Thailand.

* Said Thailand was open for business and that he soon hoped to visit Australia.

* Said Thailand's suspected covert economic support for Cambodia's murderous Khmer Rouge faction was "a thing of the past".

In the interview, Mr Chuan said Australia's Asia-first foreign policy was a good thing.

"Frankly speaking, Asian people have tended to in the past view Australia as part of the Western world, rather than in Asia," he said.

"I agree with this change of direction and we should think ourselves people of the same region."

Asked if Thais accepted Australians as Asian neighbours, Mr Chuan said: "Personally I have no problems with that, but among the Asian people in general it may take some time before they adapt to this view.

"(Australia can continue) its good relations in terms of politics, trade or culture and artistic exchanges; I think Australians are good at learning these things.

"I would like Australia to take more interest in Asia despite the fact that there may be more cultural ties with European and Western countries, but because of geographical considerations I think the future will bring these countries closer together."

Thailand did not consider any future Republic of Australia as important in cementing Australia's Asian credentials: "I don't think this is a factor because there are many countries in the region that have had the same kind of status as Australia and it does not affect them."

(Thailand has never been colonised by European powers.)

On Malaysia's proposal of the East Asian Economic Caucus - which excludes North America, Australia and New Zealand - Mr Chuan said the Caucus had Thailand's support but not if it was a trade bloc.

"I have in the past supported the Malaysian proposal because the Malaysian PM has said to me that their proposal was not a proposal of a trade bloc but merely a consultative forum," he said.

"If the EAEC is merely a consultative forum there is no reason not to support it. In any case regional co-operation can take many forms."

He said the EAEC's exclusion of Australia and North America "reflects the kind of problem we were earlier talking about, the acceptability of Australia as part of the region. But it is something that understanding could be reached on. I don't believe the Malaysian proposal itself would be an obstacle to the engagement of Australia in Asia."

Although a relative unknown internationally, 56-year-old Mr Chuan has been a familiar face in Thai politics since 1969 when he first became a member of the Thai parliament, the Ratsatatapan, representing the poor southern province of Trang.

Mr Chuan led Thailand's oldest political party, the centrist Democrat Party, to power nine months ago after elections which followed the brutal 1992 massacre of student demonstrators in Bangkok and the subsequent resignation of the military-backed Suchinda government.

Mr Chuan is one of Asia's most popular leaders and, given Thailand's traditional political instability, has so far been able to preserve what many observers feel is both a fragile five-party coalition, and a fragile democracy.

Lacking an elitist background and with no military links, he was a compromise candidate for Thais tired of an entrenched cycle of corrupt military governments.

His political opponents have used his mild-mannered and softly spoken approach to label him a weak leader.

Mr Chuan said Thailand's foreign policy priorities were a "continuity of good relations with our immediate neighbours".

This would involve a stronger focus on the six fellow members of ASEAN, with Mr Chuan adding that Thailand preferred any regional dialogue to spring from, and include, the ASEAN forum.

"There may be differences in priority but there will be more focus on our ASEAN neighbours and other countries in the region," he said.

Thailand did not perceive any country or issue as posing any significant threat to regional security, although he cautioned about a post-Cold War"leadership vacuum".

On the Thai military, which has traditionally controlled the Thai Government, Mr Chuan said the army was learning democracy and restraint and that democracy was secure in Thailand.

"The current leadership of the military in Thailand seem to have a much better understanding and acceptance of democratic principles... therefore I can see little problem as far as interference with the democratic development of Thailand from the military," he said.

On Cambodia and the Thai military's long-standing business links with the Khmer Rouge, Mr Chuan said:"This so-called special relationship between Thailand and the Khmer Rouge, that's based on facts that are out of date; changes have taken place.

"Because we have a common border with Cambodia of 500-600 km it is only normal for the people living on the two sides to have contact with each other

"But that doesn't mean that the Government gives any special support to these contacts. You will see that we have complied with the United Nations resolutions (on Cambodia)."

On regional security, an issue expected to be on the agenda of next week's meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, Mr Chuan said "any proposal would have to be studied. Any forum would spring from ASEAN".

Mr Chuan said his Government's priority was a more equitable distribution of prosperity across Thailand, and to instill "discipline" in Thais, taken to mean a crackdown on corruption.

"Past economic development that tends to neglect the social dimensions of development will be corrected," he said. "I come from the people, from the real people, the lower strata of society. I will serve the people first."