Hun Sen's words linger

The problem caused by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's comments was not serious enough for Thailand to sever ties with Phnom Penh and will not have any adverse effects on the 15th Asean Summit, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday.
After arriving at Hua Hin Airport to attend the15th Asean Summit on Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters that he would welcome fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Cambodia, would deny extradition and would appoint him as his economic adviser. Asked whether Thailand would seek Thaksin's extradition, Mr Abhisit said it was still uncertain whether the fugitive former prime minister would really be staying in Cambodia.
He earlier asked Phnom Penh to reconsider.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's secretary, Chawanon Intharakomansut, said the Foreign Ministry had not asked the government to consider downgrading diplomatic ties with Cambodia in response to Mr Hun Sen's statements.
"We'll observe Cambodia's reaction now that Prime Minister Abhisit has called on the Cambodian premier to reconsider this issue carefully and focus on bilateral ties and benefits to both countries instead of one person's personal interests."The Thai government would look for new ways to bring Thaksin back to Thailand if the Cambodian government refuses to extradite him," he said.Three senators on MOnday called for Prime Minister Abhisit to issue a formal response to the Cambodian leader‘s “unethical” action in using the regional summit to show his personal support for Thaksin.Senators Paiboon Nititawan, Khamnoon Sithisamarn and Sumon Sutaviriya said at a press conference that the prime minister's verbal responses were not enough. He should also issue a formal statement on the Cambodian prime minister's unethical use of the international forum in Hua Hin.Mr Khamnoon said Mr Abhisit's statement should adhere to diplomatic principles but at the same time clearly show Thailand's standpoint regarding Thaksin.He urged the government to announce an indefinite delay of parliament's consideration of three memoranda of understanding on Thai-Cambodian border talks over the 4.6-square-kilometre area in dispute around the Preah Vihear temple, as required by Article 190 of the constitution, to show its dissatisfaction with the Cambodian leader.Mr Khamnoon said most people were very unhappy with the Cambodian premier’s announced stance, which had sowed the seeds of conflict between the Thai and Cambodian people.Therefore, the prime minister should counter Mr Hun Sen's action with a formal statement..Mr Paiboon called on the government to adopt a tough policy with Cambodia and give more importance to national integrity and existence than to trivial economic interests.Burmese people in Thailand were very displeased that Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen likened his friend Thaksin with the plight of their arrested democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, by saying they were both victims of political persecution.His comment caused a group of Burmese politicians, students and villagers to gather near the Burmese border in Tak's Mae Sot district on Monday morning. "Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 14 years, is an unconditional fighter for democracy, has never thought of fleeing the country and is not fighting for her personal interests. She cannot be compared with Thaksin," a Burmese student said.

Japan backs East Asian role for USABHISIT'' HATOYAMA HOLD TALKS"

CHA-AM : Japan yesterday backed a US role for the East Asian Community, telling Southeast Asian leaders Tokyo's alliance with Washington was at the heart of its diplomacy.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in talks with Asean leaders there should be some US involvement in the bloc, according to Kazuo Kodama, the spokesman for the Japanese delegation.
It was unclear how a US role would work. But the comment may help allay concern in some countries that such a body would ultimately fail by shutting out the world's biggest economy.
"It is too premature to discuss the membership of this long-term envisioned community," the spokesman said.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post prior to his departure for the summit, Mr Hatoyama said the US-Japan alliance was the fundamental cornerstone of Japanese foreign policy.
The message was repeated in yesterday's meeting with Southeast Asian leaders.
The Japanese premier suggested that the proposed co-operation should include areas such as trade, investment finance, education, the environment, disaster management and maritime affairs.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today will push another idea for a new, separate forum of Asia-Pacific nations to respond to regional crises. His idea also includes the United States.
Washington has stepped up Asian diplomacy under President Barack Obama's administration and fears missing out on such groupings, especially as Japan considers redefining its US security alliance and Beijing expands its diplomatic and trade presence.
Exactly how Washington would participate is as yet uncertain.
Asked if Washington would be a member of the community, a Japanese government official said: "It remains unclear. We have to see how multilateral meetings will turn out today." The proposal wasn't elaborated upon, according to Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu. "How the US participates - because the US is one of our dialogue partners - we need to think through," said Ms Pangestu.
Japan used the 15th Asean summit to seek support on the East Asia Community and to promoted its readiness to enhance cooperation with Asean countries, especially those in the Mekong sub-region. Mr Hatoyama will host a meeting with leaders from the Mekong countries including Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in Japan between Nov 6 and 7 as he wanted to have a close discussion on the development of the sub-region, the spokesman said.
Mr Hatoyama held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for the first time on the sidelines of the summit.
The two leaders agreed that Japan and Thailand's economic partnership agreement was still an important tool in helping promote economic growth between the two countries.
Japan pledged to provide financial assistance to small and medium business corporations of Thailand.

Sustainability is the watchword in biofuels

For better or worse Thailand, like many other countries around the world, is committed to the promotion of biofuels to relieve the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels. Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul has reaffirmed the present government's commitment to the 15-year development plan for renewable and alternative fuels which was finalised last year.

He said the goal at the end of the 15-year period is for biofuels to replace 460 billion baht in crude oil imports.
Part of the plan is to promote a greater demand for biofuels through subsidies, offering tax incentives to motorists and even attempts to implement regulations requiring the use of biofuel mixtures.
The government's strategy to make biofuels more available and appealing is unwavering, despite the numerous reports of negative and ecologically counter-productive effects of using agricultural products to produce biofuels.
Biofuels are being blamed for everything from higher food prices to hastening the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Paiboon Ponsuwanna, chairman of the food industry club of the Federation of Thai Industries, pointed out that many in the food industry are concerned about the possibility of competition in the future between land for growing energy crops and for food.
As biofuels look to be a permanent fixture in Thailand's energy picture, and as more agricultural land is devoted to growing crops for conversion to ethanol, it would be well to take a look at the situation in Brazil, the acknowledged pioneer in the use of biofuels.
In Brazil, by law, all gasoline contains a minimum of 25% alcohol, yet ethanol actually accounts for close to 50% of all vehicle fuel.
Brazilian biorefineries which use sugar cane are able to supply all of the domestic needs with a lot to spare for the export market.
In response to widespread criticism of its biofuels industry, the Brazilian government has prohibited new sugar cane fields in the Amazon region, as well as in a huge wetland area known as the Pantanal.
The government is confident it can meet rising demands without expanding into ecologically sensitive areas, by using degraded agricultural land which is now not in use.
Similarly, in trying to meet the rising demand for biofuels, the Thai government must also strictly enforce existing laws which prohibit encroachment into healthy forests and wetlands.
Another practice the Brazilian government is trying to put an end to is the burning of cane fields to get rid of the leaves, common in Thailand as well as in Brazil. It is estimated that this produces nearly 4,500 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide per hectare.
Not only that, it robs the soil of organic materials for fertilisers.
A major innovation being tried in Brazil which should be incorporated into Thailand's bioenergy production scheme is the rotation of fast-growing food crops, like certain varieties of soybean and peanuts, with the sugar cane (in Thailand cane molasses) used to produce ethanol. This involves direct planting, in which fields are not tilled and the organic waste is allowed to remain as fertiliser.
In some cases food crops are planted alongside the cane and grown concurrently. Through these sorts of practices it is hoped the production of biofuels can be made to be truly ecologically sustainable.
Perhaps the most important steps toward that goal are being taken at experimental operations in which cellulosic material _ the leaves, stems, husks and other non-food portions of plants _ are broken down into their component sugars and then fermented to make ethanol. Proponents believe the process can be made commercially viable and that cars could be running cleanly on a limitless supply of agricultural waste.
Clearly this won't become a reality overnight, and few people believe that even conventional biofuel production can fully substitute for Thailand's oil imports. Nevertheless it is important that the preparations being made to turn the country into a large-scale producer of biofuels take sustainability into consideration at every step of the way.