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.