What you used to say as an antiThaksin protestor you cannot say as the foreign minister

"I have no regrets" : FM Kasit

Newly appointed Foreign Minister, Kasit Piromya, thanked former prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, on sunday for his "valuable" advice that helped him make the transition from being a political activist to a minister in the current government.[1]

Speaking on World Beat with Suthichai Yoon, Kasit said Chuan reminded him he no longer has the luxury to comment on any theoretical matters because he is confined to the international relations of Thailand.

"What you used to say as an antiThaksin protestor you cannot say as the foreign minister," Kasit quoted Chuan as telling him.

"But fundamentally, I'm still the same person with the same integrity and principles and the same sense of right and wrong," Kasit said.

World Beat with Suthichai Yoon is scheduled for airing this Thursday at 11pm on Modern Nine TV.

Kasit also defended his role in the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), saying he was fighting for what he believed in.

His political activism placed him in a bad light with Cambodia after he voiced objection to the then Samak Sundaravej government's endorsement of Phnom Penh's unilateral bid to put the Preah Vihear ancient Hindu temple on Unesco's World Heritage list.

Kasit expressed hope that Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders, all seasoned politicians who were once freedom fighters, would understand he was fighting for a cause and that they would not bring "domestic matters" into bilateral relations.

Kasit recalled the time he debated Hun Sen at the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement as a Thai diplomat. In spite of the difficulties and challenges in bringing about a peaceful resolution to Cambodia, he said, his encounter with the then Khmer faction leader ended in good terms.

Kasit said: "I walked up to Hun Sen, shook his hand and told him Thailand looked forward to working with him in the coming future."

Now, the Abhisit government would like to strengthen bilateral ties with Cambodia to a new height, he added.

The upcoming Asean Summit is extremely important for Thailand, as it is an ideal opportunity to show the world the country is back on track after a series of unfavourable incidents, including the seizing of the two international airports in Bangkok.

Kasit said he had no regrets about appearing on the PAD stage to attack former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, a man he came to know well during his brief posting as minister with the foreign ministry in mid1990s, and as his adviser during his first administration.

Kasit said he never minced words with Thaksin during those years, even if it meant losing his posting. During his term as Thai Ambassador to Washington, Kasit urged Thaksin to withdraw Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai's bid to become the United Nations secretarygeneral, saying the country's international standing was at stake if the then government insisted on fighting a losing battle.

Kasit recently attracted a great deal of criticism after being quoted as calling the PAD demonstration "fun", which he maintained was taken out of context.

He maintained he was talking about the "overall atmosphere", which included food, music and participants, many of whom were women in their 60s and 70s.

"I don't deny the word (fun) was used but it was the reporter's decision to sensationalise it in the context it was presented," Kasit said.

Kasit suggested Thailand has been unfairly perceived by the international media, saying many tend to forget that three decades ago the current leadership line up in Europe were made up of former activists who carried out street protests and battled the then dictatorial regimes. He added it was their efforts that helped bring down the Soviet Union's Iron Curtain.

"I have no regrets and I am not going to shrug any off. Everything I did was up front and on the table, ready to be scrutinised," Kasit said.

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[1] By The Nation, 11 January 2009, http://nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/11/regional/regional_30092941.php