Thailand, 2007

On behalf of the

Royal Thai Government, allow me first to congratulate

you, Mr. President, and the former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia on your election as the President of the

General Assembly at its sixty-second session. The Thai

delegation looks forward to rendering its full support

for the work of this session in the coming months.

I also wish to take this opportunity to express my

sincere appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

for his tireless devotion to the United Nations and its

reform. The first year in office is crucial for setting the

priorities and future direction of this Organization, and

the Secretary-General is certainly faced with a great

challenge.

Thailand is keen to work with the Secretary-

General towards a renewed United Nations one that

is more responsive and empowered to address

effectively the needs of the peoples of our world. We

are keen to do so because we are committed to what

the United Nations stands for: respect for equality, for

diversity, for human rights and for people.

That commitment drives us to build a stronger

democracy that is more transparent and has stronger

safeguards for our people. That commitment also

guides us in building a sound, open economy and a

more just and equitable society governed by the rule of

law crucial underpinnings for sustainable

development.

All of that is taking place during a very special

year for the Thai people, namely, the eightieth birthday

of His Majesty the King of Thailand.

As most representatives probably know, exactly

one year has passed since Thailand moved to address

the unprecedented political paralysis in our democratic

system. I wish to take this opportunity to assure our

friends that we are keeping to the timeline for the

revitalization of parliamentary democracy, with general

elections scheduled for 23 December 2007.

Exactly 10 years ago, Thailand suffered from a

deep crisis of a different nature. Through globalization,

that economic ailment quickly spread to many

countries and regions. Yet we have emerged from the

1997 Asian financial crisis a stronger and more vibrant

free-market economy. Now, despite high oil prices and

other challenges, Thailand’s economic fundamentals

are strong.

But, while continued economic growth over the

past decade has lifted millions of Thais out of poverty,

some 10 per cent have not benefited. Thailand, like

other developing countries, continues to face

challenges to sustainable development in the form of

income disparities and an urban/rural divide.

I believe that governments have a moral

responsibility to address disparities in income

distribution. This is why Thailand has made it our

national priority to promote growth with equity and to

achieve development from within. Our approach has

been based on His Majesty the King’s philosophy of a

“sufficiency economy”, which calls for moderation and

mindfulness in consumption, prudent economic

decision-making and careful risk management. The

philosophy’s recognition by the United Nations

Development Programme in its 2007 Thailand Human

Development Report has strengthened our conviction

that we are on the right track.

The Government is leading that effort through

universal education and investing in basic

infrastructure for people-centred development. We

believe that emphasis on moderation and knowledge

will lead to a more equitable society, which is

fundamental to sustainable development and immunity

from external shocks.

In addition to promoting growth with equity,

governments must also ensure that progress does not

come at the expense of the environment. For Thailand,

the sufficiency economy’s concepts of moderation and

mindfulness relate directly to the sustainable utilization

of natural resources. Thailand aims at cutting back on

its reliance on fossil fuels and at lowering greenhouse

gas emissions through energy conservation.

At the same time, we seek to meet our growing

energy demand through renewable energy and biofuels.

We are also considering the option of nuclear energy,

paying heed to the crucial issue of safety.

But Thailand realizes that a significant reduction

of fossil fuel use will likely take a few more decades,

owing to the high costs of new technology. There must

be greater partnership between countries that have

developed clean energy technologies and those who

lack them. We therefore reiterate our call for research

and development cooperation and the affordable

transfer of clean coal and methane reduction

technologies.

An inevitable consequence of climate change is

unpredictability of the water supply. As a major food-

producing country, and in line with His Majesty the

King’s “Water is life” initiative, water conservation is a

long-term priority for the Thai Government. We have

made a commitment to increasing the country’s

forested and water catchment areas. I would like to call

on all nations to make water management a priority on

our climate change agenda as well.

Thailand places great importance on promoting

human security and is an active member of the Human

Security Network. I have spoken about Thailand’s

efforts to provide our people with freedom from want

through democratic reform, respect for human rights

and people-centred and sustainable development. The

other side of human security is freedom from fear. As a

result of fear and mistrust, individuals and

communities fall prey to extremist ideas that further

divide humanity. I strongly believe that the best

strategy to conquer such fear is winning hearts and

minds, and Thailand is committed to fostering cross-

cultural understanding.

But terrorism continues to draw its strength from

extremist ideologies. So we must appeal to the majority

in the world who are moderates to join forces against

extremism. In addition, enhancing inter- and intra-faith

dialogue and dialogue among civilizations should take

place at the regional level. We are doing that in South-

East Asia.

As a neighbouring country sharing a land border

of more than 2,400 kilometres with Myanmar and

currently hosting more than a million of its citizens,

Thailand is gravely concerned about what we are

seeing and hearing about in Myanmar. Thailand and

Myanmar, being predominantly Buddhist, share a

belief in non-violence and tolerance. Thailand

therefore finds unacceptable the commission of

violence and bodily harm to Buddhist monks and other

demonstrators in Yangon.

This morning, the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) discussed the situation in Myanmar.

ASEAN is appalled to have received reports of the use

of automatic weapons and demands that the Myanmar

Government immediately desist from the use of

violence against demonstrators. ASEAN expressed

revulsion over reports that demonstrations in Myanmar

are being suppressed by violent force and that there

have been a number of fatalities. We strongly urge

Myanmar to exercise the utmost restraint, to seek a

political solution and resume its efforts aimed at

national reconciliation with all parties concerned, and

to work towards a peaceful transition to democracy. We

call for the release of all political detainees, including

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN fully supports the decision of Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon to send Special Envoy Ibrahim

Gambari to Myanmar. We ask the Myanmar

Government to cooperate fully and to work with him.

Mr. Gambari’s role as a neutral interlocutor among all

the parties can help to defuse the dangerous situation.

ASEAN urges Myanmar to grant him full access to all

parties in the country, as it has done in the past.

Thailand is undergoing changes that will make it

a more capable partner of the international community

and the United Nations. At the regional level, Thailand

is eager to work with our ASEAN partners to create a

closer community. Strengthened by a new Charter,

ASEAN will be able to cooperate more effectively with

its United Nations partners.

Indeed, promoting closer cooperation between

ASEAN and the United Nations two organizations

that share the same values and goals will be one

contribution to restoring faith in the multilateral

system. Another will be supporting ongoing United

Nations reform efforts. Together with Chile, South

Africa and Sweden, Thailand has put forth the Four

Nations Initiative proposals, aimed at improving the

governance and management of the Secretariat on the

basis of increased accountability and transparency.

Thailand’s cooperation with the international

community and the United Nations is being further

enhanced by new people-centred initiatives. Our new

constitution provides for universal education and

health care, gender equality, respect for children’s

rights and a social safety net for the poor, the disabled

and the elderly. More than ever before, we are

committed to combating HIV/AIDS and other global

health threats.

In the area of poverty eradication, Thailand is

also committed to going beyond our borders to assist

our friends and neighbours. Our Mae Fah Luang

Foundation’s community development model is being

replicated in Afghanistan and Indonesia. Thai troops

participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions

are recognized for their contributions in rebuilding

basic infrastructures in post-conflict areas.

We see that the immediate resumption of the

Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations is

essential to help the developing world achieve the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). And, as the

twelfth session of the United Nations Conference on

Trade and Development, to be held in Accra next year,

approaches, Thailand is looking forward to discussing

ideas for South-South and trilateral cooperation to

address the opportunities and challenges of

globalization for development.

This has been a year of great reform for Thailand.

The current political and social reforms that are taking

place in my country will allow us to make greater

contributions to a world where people can live in

security and dignity, free from poverty and despair a

world where the present generation enhances the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

As the world grows smaller by the day, humanity,

more than ever before, is sharing a common destiny.

Our faith in the United Nations and in the multilateral

process must be equal to the challenges and

opportunities facing us.