EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISH GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

I AM PREVILEDGED TO HAVE THE HONOUR TO ADDRESS THIS DISTINGUISH GATHERING AT THE EUPEAN PARLIAMENT TODAY.  ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM, THE PAST IMMEDIATE CHAIRMAN OF CALD WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED TO YOU, TODAY. BUT DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCE HE COULD NOT ATTEND THIS MEETING. AS ONE OF THE DELEGATION FROM THAILAND REPRESENTING THE DEMOCRAT PARTY, THEREFORE, I HAVE THE HONOUR, TO SPEAK TO YOU.

AFTER THE ASIA ECONOMIC CRISIS OF 1997, THAT HAS BEEN PHRASED AS THE TOM-YUM KOONG DISEASE, STARTED IN THAILAND AND SPREADED ALL OVER THE REGION. THE GOVERNMENT AT THAT TIME RESIGNED, AND THEN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY BECAME THE GOVERNMENT.  WE TRIED TO RESOLVED AND TACKLE THE CRISIS, WITHIN THE TIME FRAME LEFT OF 2 YEARS.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT!! 58 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WERE SUSPENSED PRIOR TO OUR REIGN. 

OUR FIRST PRIORITY WAS TO SAVE THE BANKING SECTOR AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FROM COLLAPSING UNDER THE IMF FRAMEWORK.  AT THAT TIME, THE WORLD ECONOMIC WAS DETERIOATING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THAILAND TO MANAGE ITS SITUTIONS.  WE HAVE TO BE GRATEFUL, HOWEVER, TO OUR FOREIGN FRIENDLY COUNTRIES TO OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

ONE THING WE ALL REALIZE IS THAT FINANCIAL CRISIS TAKES YEARS TO RESOLVE.  WITHIN THE TIME FRAME OF 2 YEARS, DEMOCRAT PARTY LAID DOWN NECESSARY FOUNDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN FINANCIAL AND PRIVATE SECTORS. 

THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT INSTALLED IN EARLY 2001 HAS MADE THE ECONOMY MORE STABLE AND ATTRACTIVE TO FOREIGN INVESTORS.  GDP HAS STEADILY GROWN FROM 3% TO ALMOST 7% WITHIN 3 YEARS. 

INDEED, THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN VERY POPULAR WITH ITS POPULIST POLICIES SIMILAR TO SOME COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA.  THESE POPULIST POLICIES ARE

*CHEAP UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 1 EURO),

*3 YEARS DEBT-GRACE PERIOD FOR FARMERS AND

*GIVEN AWAY 1 MILLION BAHT PER VILLAGE OR ABOUT_______ EURO.

OF COURSE, THAI CITIZENS ENJOYED THESE PRIVILEGES, ESPECIALLY THE GRASS ROOTS.  THE CONSEQUENCE LEAVES THE PEOPLE WITH HIGHER FAMILY DEBTS. THE LATEST FIGURES SHOW FAMILY DEBT INCREASED FROM 84,000 BAHTS TO 120,000 BAHTS OR A _____% INCREASED!

THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY GAVE MONEY EASILY AND MADE SPENDING EASIER!!  THE STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT MONEY IS SPENT ON BUYING MOBILE PHONES, MOTORCYCLE, REFRIGERATORS; ITEMS THAT CANNOT GENERATE INCOMES. 

THE GOVERNMENT ENJOYS ITS POPULARITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY CANNOT TOLERATE ANY CRITICISMS OR ADVICES FROM ACADEMICS INCLUDING NGO’S. 

ONE IMPORTANT THING THAT MUST BE MENTIONED, HERE, IS THAT THE CURRENT THAI PRIME MINISTER IS ONE OFTHE RICHEST MAN IN THE COUNTRY.   WITH HIS MONEY, HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO EXERCISE HIS INFLUENCES OVER THE COUNTRY’S POLITIC AND ECONOMICS.  HIS PARTY, ESTABLISHED ONLY 6 YEARS AGO, ABLE TO GAIN THE ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN THAI PARLIAMENT.  THE STRONG GOVERNMENT, AS SUCH, HAS DECREASED PEOPLE PARTICIPATIONS, WEAKENS CIVIL SOCIETY AND VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS. 

ONE OF THE RECENT EVENT, THE AUDIENCE MAY HAVE HEARD OF, IS THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS.  THE GOVERNMENT TRIED TO ERADICATE THE DRUGS PROBLEMS BY IMPLEMENTING STRONG AND HARSH METHOD.  CONSEQUENTLY, CAUSED MORE THAN 2,500 LIVES.  AND IN THOSE 2,500—WERE SOME OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS.  THE UNITED NATIONS, THE UNITED STATES, AND THE HUMAN WATCH MADE CONCERNING COMMENTS REGARDING THIS CATASTROPHY…..

BUT ALL IN VAIN.  

THAILAND’S SOCIAL ORDER WAS EXACERBATED BY THE DISTURBANCE OF THE SOUTH WHERE IT IS DOMINATED BY MUSLIMS.  RECENTLY 87 DIED OF SUFFOCATION WHILE BEING TRANSFERRED TO AN ARMY CAMP, RAISED GRAVED CONCERN BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALY.

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMED AT THE BEGINNING THAT IT WAS DUE TO MEDIOCRE THEIVES & CROOKS.  LATER, THEY REALIZE IT IS BIGGER PROBLEM THAN THEY HAD ANTICIPATED.  CULTURALLY DIFFERENCES, POVERTY, ARE SOME OF THE REASONS QUOTED BY ACADEMICS AND LOCAL EXPERTS AS ROOTED CAUSES.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE WRONG DIAGNOSIS, THE WRONG SOLUTION, THE WRONG MEDICINES WAS IMPLEMENTED THUS WORSEN THE MATTER. 

ALL THROUGH THE THREE YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT BECAME MORE AUTHORITATIVE.  SOME CITIZENS HAVE BEGUN TO REALIZE, NOW, THAT WHAT GOVERNMENT IS DOING IS ONLY BENIFITING HIS AND HER OWN INTERESTS, FAMILY AND THEIR CLONINGS. 

THE STORIES I HAVE DESCRIBED AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA CHANNELS OR EVEN YOUR OWN LOCAL PAPERS, ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A “STRONG GOVERNMENT”. 

A “STRONG GOVERNMENT”, WHICH IS OFTEN PRAISED BY DEMOCRATIC AND WELL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.  A “STRONG GOVERNMENT” AS SEEN HERE,  HAS, HOWEVER,  

ABUSES HUMAN RIGHTS,

REPRESSES PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONS,   AND ULTIMATELY GOES AGAINST ALL DEMOCRATIC RULES AND STANDARD.  

AS A POLITICAL PARTY, THE DEMOCRAT OF THAILAND DETERMINES TO CONTINUE TO UPHOLD DEMOCRACY RIGHTS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND FREEDOM OF THE PEOPLE. 

LASTLY WITH ONE OF THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS CONFERENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN-DAY, PROBLEM ORIENTED SOLUTIONS IN IMPORTANT AREAS OF LIBERAL POLITICS SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL SOCIETY,

I, THEREFORE, WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THESE EXPERIENCES WITH YOU AND HOPE THAT THESE EXPERIENES CAN FURTHER GENERATE OUR DISCUSSIONS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.

Thank you.