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Delegation Reports
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO THAILAND
- 12 to 16 February 2006
Report by Jim Rodgers
Delegation
Margaret Moran MP
Leader of the Delegation
Labour
David Borrow MP
Labour
Lord Paul of Marylebone
Labour
Robert Goodwill MP
Conservative
Bob Spink MP
Conservative
Baroness Gardner of Parkes
Conservative
Jim Rodgers
Deputy Secretary, British Group IPU
The delegation arrived in Bangkok in the middle of an unseasonably heavy
rainstorm on Sunday, 12 February and did not catch sight of the famous
Thai sunshine until the following Wednesday. They were met on arrival
by Mr. Narong Ratosponean Director of International Relations of the Thai
parliament.
The Thai political scene was also unseasonably murky as clouds gathered
over the head of the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who is presently
embroiled in a tax avoidance scandal after he disposed of a large number
of shares in an offshore telecommunications company. He denies any wrongdoing
and claims not to have broken the law. Nevertheless, the story will not
go away; two cabinet Ministers have resigned and Opposition Senators tried
to have him impeached – but failed. Just a week after the delegation
returned to Britain, Prime Minister Thaksin called a snap general election
for April 2.
Monday
As Monday was a public holiday, the delegation paid a visit to Kanchanaburi
Province, site of the infamous Death Railway of Bridge of the River Kwai
fame. The delegation visited the large Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery
located near the site of the bridge to pay their respects and to lay a
wreath. They were received by the manager of the cemetery, Bob Beattie
an Australian and local entrepreneur who lives locally. He is a consultant
to the local gemstone business, and in his spare time he also created
a private interactive museum that tells the story of the Thailand-Burma
Railway built by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The Hon
Deya Sucurom, Member of the House of Representatives for the region, hosted
a lunch for the visitors and invited them to visit his home and meet his
family.
Tuesday
The British Ambassador, His Excellency David Fall, gave an excellent
breakfast briefing at his residence on Tuesday morning, in detail covering
the UK/Thailand bilateral relationship, all the main political and economic
indicators. He set out Thailand’s position within the ASEAN group
of countries and the group’s relationship with its surrounding larger
neighbours. He also described the internal political situation from the
Prime Minister’s temporary embarrassments to some of the continuing
problems in the border regions. The position in the mainly Muslim provinces
on the Malay border is particularly worrying. Emergency powers were evoked
and troops deployed in three provinces following some particularly nasty
incidents last year. Over three thousand people have been killed in the
last twelve months and many more maimed and wounded. These emergency powers
have recently been extended.
Following the breakfast meeting, the delegation visited the State Banqueting
rooms of the Grand Palace where the staff were busy preparing for the
state visit by the French President Jacques Chirac the following week.
They then moved on to the Thai parliament for a meeting with the Thai/UK
Friendship Group led by Senator Khunying Chockhuy Sophonpanich. The friendship
group is keen to visit the UK.
Lunch was hosted by His Excellency Mr Pravih Ratanopien, Minister of Science
and Technology, who led the very successful Thai delegation visit to the
UK in 2004. Mr Ratanopien’s recent elevation to the rank of Minister
meant that he had to relinquish his seat in Parliament.
In the afternoon, the delegation paid a courtesy call on His Excellency
Dr Bhokin Bhalakula, President of the House of Representatives. Dr Bhalakula
is also President of the Parliament and chairs regular joint sittings
of both chambers. The last meeting of the day was with members of the
executive committee of the Thai IPU Group, several of whom had visited
the UK in 2003. It is chaired by Professor Likit Teravekin. Dinner in
the evening, in honour of the delegation was given by the Friendship Group
at the Beverley Hills, Conrad Bangkok hotel.
Wednesday
First visit in the morning was to Bangkok Police Headquarters, Tsunami
Identification Centre. The international police investigation team had
recently relocated to Bangkok following completion of onsite work in Phuket.
The Norwegian chief investigator and the UK police contingent of the investigation
team gave a brief historical overview and explained the current situation
including the training and handover of the investigation to the Thai Police.
In total, 280,000 people are believed to have died in the disaster throughout
the region of which 145 are thought to have been British. In Thailand,
the victims totalled 5,935 and reported British victims numbered 131.
Some 130 of the British victims have now been identified; only one reported
British victim remains missing. There remain in Thailand 705 local victims
who have yet to be identified;, they are believed to be a combination
of Thai citizens and an unspecified number of migrant guest workers. These
last unidentified victims will be interred within the next few weeks,
in such a way that they can be exhumed if further identification becomes
necessary.
The delegation then called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Khantathi
Suphamongkon, who had just returned from a visit to Europe that had included
talks in London with Britain’s Foreign Secretary. The son of a diplomat
with an Anglo/American educational background he was, by far, the most
impressive politician that the delegation met during the visit. He gave
a very articulate account of his London visit. He explained that his talks
with Jack Straw included matters of general c-ooperation on security,
community integration, drugs and an action plan on terrorism. During the
Minister’s visit to Europe, he also spoke at Asia House on the subject
of globalisation, public health, ICT, egovernment and greater effiency
The Minister talked openly about the one million-plus Burmese refugees
living in Thailand and the Thai Government’s wish to encourage their
return to their homeland. He also commented on the difficult relations
between Myanmar and its ASEAN neighbours. The ASEAN countries had recently
sent a strong message to the Burmese government urging them to “move
ahead”. The Minister also mentioned his recent visit to Cambodia
for talks with his opposite number there about a disputed land and maritime
region. He said that agreement had been reached in respect of the possible
development of the disputed maritime region but not on the land area.
He was, nevertheless, hopeful that agreement would be reached in the near
future on all of Thailand’s disputes with Cambodia.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited Bamrasnaradura Hospital HIV Aids
Project. The hospital is the focal point of the national and regional
Advisory Service. It provides training and advice to other regional Asian
countries. Treatment is provided free of charge, and the control measures
introduced in the past five years are showing a steady decline in the
number of reported new cases of HIV Aids. Many more prosperous countries
would be happy to emulate Thailand’s professional and caring treatment
that it provides to HIV patients.
Thursday
The last day of the programme began with a visit by Baroness Gardner
of Parks and Robert Goodwill MP to a local orphanage that had been brought
to their attention when the wife of Britain’s Prime Minister’s,
Mrs Cherie Blair, attended a fund-raising event for the charity in London
shortly before the visit.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Triumph Motorcycle (Thailand)
Ltd a British Company that manufactures motorcycle component parts for
assembly in Triumph’s UK factory in Coventry.
The last official function of the visit was the reception hosted, on behalf
of the IPU British Group, by the British Ambassador. It was attended by
members of the Bangkok British Business community and a number of Thai
politicians some of whom the delegation had met during the course of the
visit.
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