WASHINGTON — A special envoy from Thailand has sought US support in the country's political crisis, discouraging the kingdom's longtime ally from trying to mediate in the wake of bloody street protests.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dispatched Kiat Sittheeamorn to Washington to make the case that so-called Red Shirt protesters who occupied central Bangkok for weeks included armed and Marxist elements.
Kiat, who met with members of Congress and President Barack Obama's administration on Friday, said that the Thai government welcomed US "suggestions" but was pursuing its own reconciliation plan.
"We ourselves also see some difficulties in negotiating and discussing with the Red Shirts," Kiat told AFP. "If the US extends a helping hand, I don't know if it will have different results."
"There is also the risk that it might complicate the issue even further," said Kiat, who is Thailand's trade negotiator.
Kiat recalled Thailand's reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks when "our friends were in trouble."
Did "we have concern that from now on we should advise our people not to come to the United States? Are we concerned that the United States government cannot handle the situation? Certainly not," he said.
"We always respect the decisions of any government; it's their right. But obviously it would be nice to see that... when your friends are in difficulties, we get all the support you can," he said.
The army broke up the Reds' rally on May 19 after weeks of protracted negotiations broke down. The clashes left 89 people dead.
During the crisis, Thailand summoned the US ambassador to protest after Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, met Red Shirts on a brief visit to Bangkok.
Kiat said that while "the intention of Mr. Campbell is good," he believes that the State Department has since gained a "better understanding" of the situation.
Scot Marciel, Campbell's deputy in charge of Southeast Asia, told Congress that the United States has engaged all sides in Thailand and supported Abhisit's plan for reconciliation.
"The United States can be a source of support as the Thai work to resolve the issues that still divide them, but it is the Thai people themselves who must make the difficult choices on how to proceed," Marciel said.
The reconciliation plan includes early elections, although Kiat said they were unlikely to be held this year.
Marciel admitted that in 25 years working on Southeast Asia, "I'm not sure I've encountered a situation as complex as the one in Thailand right now in terms of trying to understand the politics."
The Red Shirts include rural Thais who say they are disenfranchised by the political system. Some 36 buildings were torched in the mayhem last month, including the stock exchange.
Kiat said that some Red Shirts had "legitimate grievances," but they did not constitute a "straight-forward demonstration" as they included armed groups and "Marxist-Leninist ideologists."
Senator Jim Webb, who heads the Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, recently visited Thailand and agreed that aspects of the Red Shirts were "classic Marxist."
"You had the incitement of people based on poor versus the rich in a country that has made enormous advances over the last 30 years," Webb said.
Thailand is one of the oldest allies of the United States and assisted during the Vietnam and Iraq wars.
Catharin Dalpino, director of the Thai studies program at Georgetown University, said the United States had a stake in Thailand's stability but needed to exercise restraint.
Unlike many other countries since the Cold War, Thailand transitioned to democracy without foreign involvement, she said.
"The current political situation is still highly charged and extremely complex and high-profile attempts by an external actor to change the dynamic are likely to be counter-productive. Moreover, it runs counter to Thai sensitivities," she said.
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