Speech of Thailand Foreign Minister

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Speech of Thailand Foreign Minister about Globalisation 

Opening and keynote Address
by
His excellency Dr. Surin Pitsuwan
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
at the Conference on
Transition and Globalization: Comparative Strategies
Organized by
The Institute of Security arid International Studies, Thailand
17 December 1999, Bangkok



Professor Suchit flunbongkarn, Director of the Institute of Security and
International Studies, Chtilalongkorn University,
Dr.	Chaiwat Khamchoo, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science,
Chulalongkorn University,
Mr. Areyeh Neier, President of The Open Society Institute, Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,


Upon receiving an invitation from Professor Suchit Bunbongkarn asking me to
deliver the opening and keynote address for this conference on "Transition
and Globalization: Comparative Strategies", I had no hesitation in
accepting this honour even though I realized that the Government would be
fully preoccupied with the no confidence debate in Parliament during this
period. This Is partly due to my confidence that the Government would have
no difficulties in winning the vote, based on its record over the past two
years. However, my presence here also testifies the high regard that I have
for the organizers of this conference as well (is the importance I attach
to this subject, which is of great relevance to the challenges our nations
are currently facing.

I wish to congratulate the Institute of Security and International Studies
at Chulalonglcorn University (ISIS-Thailand), the Open Society Institute,
New York; the Jean Jaures Foundation, Paris,  the Olof Palm International
Center, Stockholm ; and the Forum for Democratic Leaders/Asia-Pacific,
Seoul for their commendable efforts in organizing this very important
conference. For the issue of globalization, and the impact that this
phenomenon has had on countries undergoing transition from one system to
another, is a highly pertinent one indeed as we stand at the dawn of the
new millennium which awaits us a mere two weeks away.


The Imperative of Reform within A SEAN in the Face of Globalization

Let my remarks this morning, I wish to focus on the imperative of - reform
within ASEAN-the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the face of
increasing pressures from globalization.

Here in the East we have a unique attitude toward change and
transformation. Fundamentally, we are quite comfortable and always prepared
for change. For we believe, as reflected in a Buddhist concept,
figuratively speaking, you cannot step in the same river  again-for the
second date-because, as time passes, water flows. Change is a permanent
feature of all things.

But globalization is overwhelming. overpowering, all dimensional., all at
once, and all encompassing. We could easily be dazzled and become dizzy as
a result of globalization.

In the past I have used the term the "tsunami' of globalization to describe
this powerful phenomenon that is currently engulfing the world. This
metaphor brings to mind a swift and potent force of nature that is all
pervasive and from which there is hardly any escape. This tsunami can have
a double-sided nature, depending on how one chooses to deal with it. On the
one hand., it can serve as a vehicle towards greater prosperity for those
who are capable of riding the crest of the wave, and can harness its energy
for their own benefit. On the other hand, the tsunami can also cut a lethal
path, destroying those who are slow to react or who try to withstand its
torrents.

This, therefore, is the challenge facing ASEAN as we prepare to enter the
new millennium. These challenges have been brought about not only by
globalization, but also by our expanded membership and increased diversity.
How we manage our diversity, our differences, as well as our greater
interdependence will be crucial in determining whether we enter the next
century in a position of strength or a position of weakness,

The effects of the financial crisis and globalization have already caused
others to doubt the relevancy and efficacy of our organization. In
response, ASEAN will need to rethink its role and the way it does business.
While tremendous success has been achieved during the past few decades by
pursuing the "ASEAN WAY', we clearly need a new road map and a new vision
to guide us into the terra incognita of the future, Indeed, ASEAN will need
to adapt, adopt and adjust itself lest it be engulfed by the tsunami of
globalization.

And may I propose to you that the ASEAN Vision 202015 that road map for the
future. Thailand can indeed claim part of the credit for this initiative
because we were the ones who proposed that ASEAN would need that road map,
that vision.

As you may recall, this Government came into office in November 1997 and
then shortly after that we attended the Second ASEAN informal Summit in
Kuala Lumpur. I remember one phrase that we proposed at the Senior
Officials' Meeting (SOM) prior to the Summit and that phrase was "open
society." Many reacted quite violently against the use of this term.

At Government House here in Bangkok, the question was relayed back from
Kuala Lumpur whether Thailand would concede to use some other title
instead. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said 'No", adding that he would bring
the matter to the very highest level. Eventually, the SOM conceded, but
with sonic modifications, it goes like this:

"We envision the entire Southeast Asian region to be, by 2020, an ASEAN
community conscious of its ties of history, aware of its cultural heritage,
and bound by a common regional identity... .We see vibrant and open ASEAN
societies consistent with their respective national identities where all
people enjoy equitable access to opportunities for total human development
regardless of gender, race, religion, language, or social and cultural
background."

For our part, Thailand has undertaken a great  many initiatives within
ASEAN ever since this Government has taken office. These include pushing
"the people's agenda," promoting the concept of social safety nets, and
advocating the idea of enhanced interaction (its earlier incarnation was
Flexible Engagement, you all know that)-all of which are intended to
strengthen our regional grouping.

As Current Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, I have proposed two
main strategies that I believe ASEAN will need to pursue if it is to
survive in this globalized world. One is called the "ASEAN Mekong Agenda."
This involves the physical development of the new members of ASEAN. The
other is the programme of Human Resource Development (HRD) within ASEAN-the
human dimension----again, focusing on the new members.

I am delighted to say that at the recent ASFAN informal  Summit in Manila..
both these issues were accorded great significance by our leaders and this
was reflected in all the major documents of the Summit as well as in the
Joint Statement by the ASEAN 10+3. Even more clear, and a direct reflection
of this effort, we have the Obuchi Plan by the Prime Minister of Japan
proposing exactly that-greater intellectual exchanges, strengthening the
centers of excellence, science arid technology in the ASEAN countries. Let
us have more exchanges of ideas for the future of Asia.


The ASEAN Mekong Agenda

Allow me briefly to describe each of these proposals, winch arc mutually
reinforcing, starting with the ASEAN Mekong Agenda. The ASEAN Vision 2020,
adopted at the Second ASEAN Informal Summit in Malaysia in December 1997,
expressed the conviction that over the next two decades ASEAN would be
"moving towards closer cohesion and economic integration, narrowing the gap
in the level of development among Member Countries." It also envisions "a
stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN Economic Region in which
there is, . . equitable economic development and reduced poverty and
socio-economic disparities."

With this in mind, I have proposed the ASEAN Mekong Agenda as a vehicle for
reducing the disparities between the older and the newer members of ASEAN.
As with any society, ASEAN cannot afford to be divided into two groups-the
haves and the have-nots--if all the members are to march together in tandem
towards greater prosperity for all. We have already succeeded in bridging,
or at least taming, the ideological divide among all the ASEAN members. Now
is the time to focus on bridging the economic gap. For without progress in
this area, we shall not be able to achieve meaningful success in economic
schemes vital to ASEAN, such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), the ASEAN
Investment Area (AIA), and ASEAN Industrial Cooperation (AICO).

I am glad to inform you tat on 12 February 2000, there will be a UN -ASEAN
Summit to discuss how to cooperate and coordinate our development
strategies in this region. All the ASEAN Heads of State / government, the
United Nations Secretary-General and the heads of all the UN agencies will
be present at UNCTAD  in Bangkok. All 190 members of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development -two more than the total membership of
the United Nations-will participate at the highest possible level. ASEAN as
a model for regional development cooperation will be a focus of attention.

The inspiration for the Mekong Agenda stems from the fact that ASEAN has
now fulfilled our Founding Fathers' vision of a community often Southeast
Asian nations. And now that we are ASEAN 10, we must redouble our efforts
toward greater cooperation and integration.

Over the past few years. there has been a proliferation of projects
centered around the Mekong sub-region under various titles, As a result,
our already limited resources have been spread much too thin for anything
substantial to be achieved. It sometimes seemed that we were trying to go
in too many directions at the same time and, as a result, we appeared to be
going no whore.

For this reason, it is essential for ASEAN members to try to identify  all
the cooperative schemes at the sub-regional level, which may be a
duplication of our efforts. Such schemes should be prioritized, harmonized
and brought under a more consolidated framework. Rather than proposing a
new project my proposition is merely a call for us all to consolidate our
efforts and enhance our cooperation with a view to attaining greater
coherency and efficacy in our collaborative efforts.

Without the development of the Mekong sub-region, we will never achieve our
dream of an ASEAN Free Trade Area. Deadlines will be missed, passed,
unachievable. We need to draw all the resources available into the Mekong
sub-region if we want our 500 million strong consumers to really be 500
million strong consumers. Otherwise, this dream will elude us.


Human Resource Development

Another issue to which I have attached utmost importance is that of human
resource development. This is an objective that I consider crucial to the
efforts by developing countries to cope with the tsunami of globalization.
An investment in human resources is an investment in human capital that, no
doubt, will yield huge dividends over the long term.

In this regard, I have proposed that the Southeast Asian countries embark
on a campaign to promote human resource development within ASEAN, Such a
campaign would draw on our own resources in conjunction with the generosity
and support of our Dialogue Partners. And I am glad to report to you that
there has been a great deal of interest in this human resource development
project.

During my travels overseas and in discussions with visiting dignitaries in
Bangkok. I have urged ASEAN's Dialogue Partners and other interested
patties to support the establishment of it "Human Resource Development Fund
for ASEAN." Scholarships provided by the Fund would serve not only to
prevent school dropouts, necessitated by economic difficulties, but would
also assist in the retraining of workers. To my mind, it is no longer
sufficient to create job opportunities for the unemployed merely to become
janitors and security guards at factories. Over the long run, we must aim
at equipping our people with the necessary skills and knowledge to become
the administrators and executives of those factories.

One of the fundamental reasons for the crisis in Southeast Asia was the
fact that we do not have our own home-grown centres of science and
technology. We have to depend on outside centres of excellence. As a result
we have become merely adjacent to, or an extension of the major economies
of the world. If we want to stand on our own legs, we need to have our own
competing and complementary centres of science, technology and excellence
in the region, much like in North America, in Europe, and in Northeast
Asia, where scientific research can be conducted in many places but the
results would flow into one main place. Examples of this are the high
technology industry in Boston or in Silicon Valley and the aerospace
industry in Toulouse, France. Research can be carried out anywhere, but
results arc shared by all.

Is this the case in Southeast Asia? No, We take the technology only if it
is deemed appropriate for us. We are allowed to take technology that we are
thought capable of managing. In the end, we produce only spare parts,
rather than the whole automobile. We need our human resource development
urgently.

Such a program would be of great benefit to all the ASEAN countries by
creating a human infrastructure for long-term sustainable development.
However, it would be particularly valuable to the newer members of ASEAN by
helping to enhance their integration into the organization as well as into
the mainstream of the region. Most significantly, it would help in creating
a new leadership for the region, winch is adequately prepared to face the
challenges of globalization in the twenty-first century.

To be sure, we in ASEAN shall have to rely first and foremost on our own
resources by training and educating our youth at local institutions within
the region-here at Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, the University of Singapore,
the University of Malaya, the University of Indonesia, and the rest. We
have many distinguished universities throughout Southeast Asia. However, we
must also bear in mind that the problems that each of our countries are
going to face in the future will be global problems requiring global
solutions.

For this reason, it will not be adequate for ASEAN's youth to receive their
education and training in this region alone. Their fresh minds will need to
be exposed to new surroundings, new technologies, new ideas, and new
innovations-the stuff of the globalized age. To cope with the challenges of
the next millennium, they will need to attain international exposure and
experience overseas-in Paris, Stockholm, Tokyo, Seoul, Boston, London,
Budapest, Warsaw, Johannesburg, Delhi, and other learning capitals of the
world.

In short, my proposal does not involve a short-term project that will be
realized during the next few years. Rather, it constitutes a major,
long-term initiative to train, shape and mould a new generation of
leadership in Southeast Asia. There is scarcely anything more valuable that
we can hand down to our grandchildren than to ensure that the leaders of
their generation are more educated, more capable and more enlightened than
that of our time. And when we have a wise and competent leadership, this
will go a long way towards fulfilling our vision of a prosperous, peaceful
and stable Southeast Asia.

Human Security

Before concluding my remarks today, there is one other topic that I would
like to address, namely, the important issue of security. It should be
noted that during the previous Cold War era, the overriding concern that
preoccupied most nations was that of military security. However, in this
day and age of globalization, the primary consideration is increasingly
turning towards human security.

The concept of human security , as I asserted in my statement before the
United Nations General Assembly this past September, goes far beyond the
traditional definition of security since it addresses the concept from
every dimension , be it economic, social, environmental, political or
military. The full scope of human  security is not yet clearly defined, but
the most important point is that we must place people at the centre of our
definition of security.

Accordingly, in order to keep up with the challenges and demands of
globalization, it is essential for ASEAN to be more people-centred and
responsive to the needs of its peoples. In the words of the ASEAN Vision
2020, we need to create a community of Southeast Asian nations "bonded
together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring
societies."

On the subject, I draw great inspiration from the wisdom of United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who shares with us his vision of the future
in the current edition of Newsweek magazine. (I am very fond of quoting
international magazines these days. Those of you who watched the debate in
Parliament the other day can see that.)

Secretary-General Annan observes that "ours in a world in which no
individual. and no country, exists in isolation," Faced with global
threats, he points out, it is necessary for the world to give more concrete
meaning to the term "international community" and to join together in
identifying areas where collective action is needed to safeguard global
interests. For, in the final analysis, the main element that binds us all
together as an international community is "a shared vision of a better
world for all people."

The Secretary-General is indeed echoing a transcendental poet, 16th
century. English, Jobn Donne, who once wrote:

No man is an island, entire of itself; 
Every man is a piece of the continent,
 a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, 
Europe is the less, (Asia Is the less) 
as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends 
or of thine own were; 
any man's death diminishes me, 
because I am involved in mankind; 
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 
it tolls for thee (for all of us)

If there is a great lesson to be learned from this great crisis here in
East Asia and in ASEAN, it is this. Interdependency-no man, no country , is
an island entire of itself any longer.

Given the great interdependence among all countries in this globalized
world, it is therefore incumbent upon us to increase our linkages and join
hands in order to face globalization together as a group. We must devote
ourselves to helping any weak links in the global chain since such links
could create vulnerabilities  for the entire system.

And I, from Thailand, say this out of our own experience . The "Toni Yum
Kung Syndrome's started here. Remember? Countries in this position must be
given adequate encouragement and scope to appreciate, realize and recognize
the ultimate threat or opportunity of globalization.

We in Thailand share the Secretary-General's optimism and his vision of a
better world. We are aware that during the decades ahead, the nature of
threats confronting our region is undoubtedly going to change. Rather than
armed conflict and hostilities, new dangers will be posed in the form of
economic disruptions and transnational problems. These include
international crime, trafficking in illicit drugs, men, women and children,
environmental degradation, and so forth, In a world without borders, these
problems are likely to become increasingly acute, and we must be fully
prepared to confront them together.

At the regional level, we attach great importance to ASEAN's Hanoi
Declaration which states that the ultimate goal of economic development is
"to raise standards of living and to promote human development in all its
dimensions, so as to enable the people of ASEAN to have the tidiest
opportunity to realize their potential." We have therefore attached utmost
priority to the promotion of adequate social safety nets and the
development of human resources as steps in this direction.

At the global level, we strongly believe that the nations of the world must
join hands to promote "globalization with a human face." Among other
things, we need to ensure that globalization leads to greater equity
amongst peoples of all nations, enhanced protection and preservation of our
environment greater protection and promotion of human rights. and., perhaps
more importantly, a better life for all peoples.

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Whether we like it or not, globalization has become the predominant and
overpowering force shaping the domestic politics, economic policies and
foreign relations of virtually every country  in the world today. How we
cope with the challenges posed by globalization can mean the difference
between greater prosperity and well-being for sonic countries and increased
poverty and hardships for others.

For this reason, it is extremely important for countries to try to study
and understand the experiences of others who have gone through or are
undergoing the process of transition and reform in all its different
dimensions. This conference provides an ideal forum for the sharing and
comparison of such experiences. The conclusions that you draw will
therefore be extremely valuable to us all.

In closing, I would like to leave you with the words of Ralph Waldo
Emerson, the l9th  century American poet and essayist. I have to cover all
my bases. I started with a Buddhist saying, then quoted an English poet,
and now en American writer who once stated:

What is man born for but to be a Reformer, a Remaker of what man has made;
a renouncer of lies; a restorer of truth and good, imitating that great
Nature which embosoms us all, and which sleeps no moment on an old past but
every hour repairs herself, yielding us every morning a new day, and with
every pulsation a new life?

It is my fervent hope, Ladies and Gentlemen, that the process of transition
and reform that is currently being implemented in Thailand and in other
countries in the wake of the financial crisis will help us to enjoy a new
life that is filled with greater peace, prosperity, and freedom for all our
peoples.

On this note, I have the great honour to declare open this "Conference on
Transition and Globalization: Comparative Strategies" and I wish you every
success in your deliberations.

Thank you,