THAILAND: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA
Record ID:
222890
THAILAND: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA
- Title: THAILAND: UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE MEETS PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA
- Date: 12th July 2005
- Summary: (BR04) PHUKET, THAILAND (JULY 11, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. MV THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA 2. MV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE SHAKING HANDS WITH THAKSIN 3. CLOSE OF RICE AND THAKSIN MEETING U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND RALPH BOYCE AND OTHER OFFICIALS 4. DELEGATES WALKING TO BREAKFAST TABLE 5. U.S. AND THAI DELEGATES AT BREAKFAST TABLE 6. CLOSE OF RICE 7. CLOSE OF THAKSIN 8. WIDE OF TABLE WITH DELEGATES 9. STAFF OUTSIDE MEETING ROOM 10. RICE AND THAI FOREIGN MINISTER KANTATHI SUPHAMONGKHON ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYING: "I am very sorry that I'm not going to be able to go to the ASEAN summit this year and to the ARF because I believe this is a vital organization with which we want to engage more. I do have other essential travel that I have to do in roughly the same time frame." 12. MEDIA 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THAI FOREIGN MINISTER, KANTATHI SUPHAMONGKHON, SAYING: "(We) actually share the same goal. And we do want to see democracy and national reconciliation process being completed in Myanmar as soon as possible." 14. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 15. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) RICE, SAYING: "So, this is a region that does have a problem. I want to note that, as I've said, it's not just this region. We've seen it in London, we've seen it in the United States, we've seen it in Morocco. It's a world-wide problem and so with all our regional partners, we are intensifying counter-terrorism co-operation, we are intensifying intelligence co-operation, we are intensifying law enforcement co-operation. We've had training and technical assistance on some of these matters with Thailand." 2.35 16. NEWS CONFERENCE 2.38 (BR06) PHANG NGA PROVINCE, THAILAND (JULY 11, 2005) (REUTERS) 17. MV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE ARRIVING AT BANG SAK SCHOOL/ SHAKING HANDS WITH THAI OFFICIAL; RICE (VARIOUS) 17. SLV CEREMONY TO WELCOME RICE TO SCHOOL 18. MV RICE SITTING DOWN WITH STUDENTS 3.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 27th July 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PHUKET AND PHANG NGA PROVINCE, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVAAZ7PN0LUEV2P98AK7IFYTOOSA
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice meets Thai
PM Thaksin Shinawatra during her six-day Asian tour.
U.S Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, met Thai
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the resort island of
Phuket on Monday (July 11, 2005) as part of a six-day tour
of the Asian region.
The Secretary held a breakfast meeting with Thaksin and
closed door discussions with Foreign Minister Kantathi
Suphamongkhon after arriving in the tsunami-hit region on
Sunday (July 10) night.
Heading the agenda were Washington's increasing
concerns over the lack of democratic reform in Thailand's
military-run neighbor, Myanmar, and the continued detention
of opposition democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi. Analysts say the
Se
cretary's decision to skip a key
security meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in Laos later this month indicated the Bush
Administration's opposition to plans by the reclusive state
to take over the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006.
Rice's predecessors have attended ASEAN meetings
frequently in the past, and observers have said a no-show
would be a slap in the face to the region.
But the Secretary came with a conciliatory message,
assuring Asian leaders that the United States viewed the
organization as one of the most influential in the world.
"I am very sorry that I'm not going to be able to go to
the ASEAN summit this year and to the ARF because I believe
this is a vital organization with which we want to engage
more. I do have other essential travel that I have to do in
roughly the same time frame," said Rice.
The U.S and human rights groups have called on
Thailand to exert more pressure on Myanmar to fast-track
democratic reforms but the country has often opted for soft
diplomacy and trade relations with the pariah state.
Thai foreign minister Kantathi says while his
government's approach may differ to the U.S., which has
imposed trade sanctions against Myanmar, their goals are
the same.
"(We) actually share the same goal. And we do want to
see democracy and national reconciliation process being
completed in Myanmar as soon as possible," said Kantathi.
Discussions between Rice and Thai officials also
focused on regional security with the Secretary reaffirming
the Bush administration's policy of increasing defence and
intelligence ties with Thailand.
"So, this is a region that does have a problem. I want
to note that, as I've said, it's not just this region.
We've seen it in London, we've seen it in the United
States, we've seen it in Morocco. It's a worldwide problem
and so with all our regional partners, we are intensifying
counter-terrorism co-operation, we are intensifying
intelligence co-operation, we are intensifying law
enforcement co-operation. We've had training and technical
assistance on some of these matters with Thailand," Rice
said.
U.S Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, visited
school children in the tsunami-devastated region of Phang
Nga in Thailand on Monday (July 11) as part of her six-day
tour of Asia.
Rice visited 300 children at Bang Sak School, which
was completely wiped out by the December 26 tsunami.
More than half the students lost a parent in the
disaster while 21 of them are orphans being cared for by
the school.
Few people from this close-knit community escaped the
tragedy with many losing relatives and homes when giant
waves up to 10 meters high ripped through their villages.
But seven months on, reconstruction is slowly
progressing.
Bang Sak School is being completely rebuilt to teach at
least 1000 students with new dorm rooms set up to house
students who have no one left to support them.
The project is being funded by a network of 43 American
and Canadian schools whose students have raised some
800,000 U.S. dollars for the reconstruction effort.
Rice will wrap up her visit to Thailand later on Monday
(July 11) and will continue her regional tour in Japan and
South Korea.
She is expected to return to the United States on
Wednesday (July 13).
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