Transcript of Reply by Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo to Question in Parliament on Thailand, 12 February 2007

Ms Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what are the government-to-government exchange programmes between Singapore and Thailand planned for 2007; (b) whether any of these government-to-government exchange programmes have been suspended by the Government of Thailand; (c) since when were these exchange programmes initiated; and (d) how many individuals have benefited from these programmes.

Ms Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of a report that Thailand's national security was compromised by an alleged eavesdropping that involved Singapore (a) what is the Government's official response to this very serious allegation of eavesdropping; and (b) whether any investigations have been conducted and, if so, what is the outcome.

REPLY:

Mr Speaker Sir, I would like to take Ms Lee's two questions together as they are related. First, let me put the issues in context.

The Thai Government suspended the bilateral Civil Service Exchange Programme in reaction to the private visit of former Thai Prime Minister Dr Thaksin to Singapore, during which DPM Jayakumar hosted him to a private dinner. Dr Thaksin, an old friend of DPM Jayakumar, had asked to catch up with him. Out of goodwill for the Thai Government, we informed them of this prior to the visit, emphasising that this would be a private social engagement and that there would be no publicity. When the Thai Government lobbied us to cancel the dinner, we sought its understanding of Singapore's position. There was no reason for us to deny Dr Thaksin entry into Singapore. He had a valid travel document; he was not a fugitive from Thai law. It is also not unusual for former political leaders to visit Singapore. Many have done so, including some former Thai leaders. And of course, everyone knows that in Singapore, we welcome foreign visitors. So long as a visitor is not a fugitive, respects our laws and does not engage in political activities when he is here, we have no reason to turn him away when he flies into Singapore. DPM Jayakumar could not refuse to see his old friend for a meal. He has known Dr Thaksin for a long time and they have met many times before, even when Dr Thaksin was not in office.

We are therefore saddened by the actions of the Thai Government and some quarters in Thailand in reaction to Dr Thaksin's visit. To begin with, it was the Thai side which made public DPM's meeting with Dr Thaksin despite our assurance that it would be kept private and discreet. Singapore values our friendship with Thailand and the mutually beneficial cooperation we have had over many years with many Thai administrations.

The Civil Service Exchange Programme is one G-to-G cooperation initiative from which both Thailand and Singapore have benefited. Unfortunately, following Dr Thaksin's visit, the Thai Government announced that it would suspend this programme. And in relation to that, they cancelled the Coordinating Meeting which was scheduled for late January in Bangkok, and they also dis-invited me from attending, which was a little sad. No other bilateral cooperation activities have been affected. As the Coordinating Meeting was meant to chart the exchange programme for this year and beyond, its cancellation means that no new programmes or projects have been drawn up. However, the activities which were agreed to earlier have carried on, notwithstanding the Thai Government's suspension of the programme. In January, we hosted a study visit by 48 Thai doctors and nurses. We have also received requests from Thai schools and agencies, through the Thai Embassy here, for us to facilitate their study visits to Singapore next month. And we are happy that these are continuing.

As for the other details of the exchange programme which Ms Lee requested - since the inception of the Civil Service Exchange Programme in 1998, at least 1800 Thais have come to Singapore for various courses and exchange activities, while 750 Singaporeans have participated in exchange activities. In the area of education, where Thailand has traditionally indicated the strongest interest to collaborate with Singapore, we have frequent exchanges between students and teachers from both sides through scholarships, courses, camps, school twinning programmes, and participation in each others' festivals. Other areas of cooperation over the years include exchanges in sectors such as health; social welfare, youth and sports; science and technology; manpower development; technical cooperation; the civil services and foreign ministries; media, arts and culture; land transport; legal and judicial; and information technology. So, on the whole, across a very wide range.

Ms Lee has asked about the allegations by some quarters in Thailand that Thai national security was compromised because Singapore was using Temasek's ownership of Thai telecommunications companies to eavesdrop on the communications of the Thai military by running their calls through Singapore. Well, in many countries around the world, there are telcos which have foreign ownership. In Thailand, there is another telco owned by a Norwegian company. We have explained - and those who are familiar with how modern telecommunications operate know - that it makes no technical or economic sense to route domestic calls within Thailand through Singapore. The Communications Authority of Thailand and the Telephone Organisation of Thailand, both state-owned enterprises of the Thai Government that provide international telecom services, as well as the Thai nationals who operate the Temasek-owned telcos, would obviously not allow such a thing to happen in any case. It would also have been absurd for Temasek to sully its reputation in this way.

Mr Speaker Sir, relations between countries, even close neighbours and partners, sometimes have their ups and downs. The current state of our relations with Thailand has its basis in the complex dynamics of Thai domestic politics since the coup. We have to take the current unpleasantness in our stride. Our ties of friendship and cooperation with Thailand are profound and will withstand this present problem.

Supplementary Questions

Ms Lee Bee Wah: Sir, I will like to ask the Minister how much does it cost us for all these exchange programmes with Thailand since its inception. Thank you.

REPLY

Mr Speaker Sir, I do not have the figure with me right now. It is not so much the actual dollars and cents but the effort involved on both sides because many departments are covered in this programme. But over the years, this programme has generated considerable goodwill between Ministers; between counterpart agencies; and between civil servants. And while there might be some cost involved, I believe that they are a completely worthwhile investment in building up goodwill.

Ms Lee Bee Wah: In view of the recent suspension or cancellation by the Thai Government on the exchange of civil service programme, which I would interpret that they don't require this programme anymore, shouldn't the Ministry cancel all such programmes and channel the money to better use, such as for example expediting the lift upgrading programme in Nee Soon South? I believe our residents would better appreciate the efforts of the Government. Thank you.

REPLY

Mr Speaker Sir, I am all in favour of providing sufficient funds for lift upgrading programmes. But I think it is important for us to be very rational in our responses towards reactions in Thailand. They are going through a difficult patch. In the run-up to the coup, there was a lot of unhappiness in Thailand. The coup itself has created a new drama. It is a tough period for them. We hope that they can return to Constitutional rule as quickly as possible with a Government which ensures fairness and justice for the Thai people. Our hearts are with them and we wish them well. So it is certainly not in our interests to aggravate the situation by reacting in an emotional way.

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