Diplomacy change in Indochina
Diplomacy change in Indochina
New and important policy shifts are underway over Cambodia and Vietnam.
The U.S. government, it now is clear, is on an irreversible road to establishment of full diplomatic relations with Hanoi. A senior State Department official who visited Vietnam last weekend said the two countries almost certainly will open 'liaison offices' in each other's capitals shortly.
But the mission of Peter Tomsen, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, clearly aimed higher than this modest goal.
The United States is clearly moving cautiously but steadily toward trading ambassadors, despite the continued opposition of Americans exercised over the long-standing dispute over missing U.S. servicemen.
The World Bank, long prevented by the United States from aid to Vietnam, has now switched to a generous policy. Guatam Kaji, the bank's regional vice president for East Asia and Pacific, has announced a loan of US$400 million to Hanoi to help upgrade Vietnam's energy, irrigation and banking systems.
Thailand has long welcomed the ever-closer diplomatic ties between Washington and Hanoi. It is clearly in our interest that Vietnam feel secure and abandon all thoughts of securing its borders through foreign military adventures.
The invasion of Cambodia in 1978 caused great upheaval inside Vietnam and in our country as well. We can only applaud and encourage moves by the Hanoi leadership to renounce thoughts of use of Cambodia as some sort of buffer zone.
Our Indochina policy has been generally enlightened, worldly and -- most importantly -- in Thailand's best interests. Clearly, there are areas which must be improved, starting with a clear statement of Thailand's stand on the Khmer Rouge.
This clearly remains a source of confusion to some foreign countries. Our diplomats and spokesmen must endeavor to make clear Thailand does not support the Pol Pot group -- or any other in a country searching for national reconciliation.
-- The Bangkok Post