US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will arrive in Bangkok tomorrow to meet with the Thai government and join an ASEAN meeting.
Pompeo will give a speech on US regional engagement and hold bilateral talks with Thailand’s new government, according to a readout from a Friday press briefing with a senior department official. His visit could bring word Washington will fully restore ties downgraded in response to the 2014 coup, as desired by both nations’ militaries but opposed by many in the diplomatic community.
“Our relationship with the Kingdom of Thailand remains one of our most important in the Indo-Pacific,” the unnamed official said. “Thailand is a key partner and a longtime ally in Asia. Our broad cooperation benefits both our countries, the region, and beyond. Thailand has performed admirably as the chair of ASEAN this year, and as longtime treaty allies, we are invested in their success in that role.”
Was Thailand’s flawed election democratic enough? Maybe for Washington
Since general elections were held in March, a dispute between America’s diplomatic corps and military over upgrading bilateral ties has broken out, with foreign policy observers saying the military is getting an outsized say in what had traditionally been a State Department decision.
The U.S. military’s desire to protect one of its regional perches to counter expansion of Chinese influence is in lockstep with the confrontational policies pursued by Trump. U.S. foreign policy experts and human rights advocates say it is a ridiculous decision that rewards an undemocratic government suppressing its people.
The official added that the US “was actively pursuing closer ties with our friends and partners to advance the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” While human rights went from a top concern to one rarely mentioned under the Trump administration, “respect for individual rights” was the last of seven principles mentioned, including freedom of passage, capitalism, investment, fair trade and good governance.
“Our friends and partners in ASEAN and elsewhere in the region are converging around these values and principles because they work,” the official said in comments somewhat disconnected from the ground where creeping authoritarianism is countered by few bright spots.
Challenged by an ABC News reporter on whether Thailand should be fully embraced despite crackdowns on human rights and attacks on opposition figures, the official said it should get credit for progress.
The official said they’d had “very positive interaction with the Thais, and the movement from the coup in 2014 to certification on the election demonstrates significant progress following regrettable activity five – how many years ago – five years ago. And so I think of it as more of a process than a state or and end state.”
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