Asia needs new ‘strategic equilibrium’ to tackle security challenges: Thai PM

SINGAPORE — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday (June 3) called for a new “strategic equilibrium” in Asia as the governments in the region seek to tackle multiple security challenges.

Delivering the keynote speech for the 15th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue — the largest gathering of defence ministers, military chiefs and security experts in Asia — Mr Prayuth said that security threats in the region have become more interconnected.

Some of these threats include territorial disputes in the South China Sea, tensions on the Korean peninsula, spread of extremism, irregular migration and climate change, he said, adding that countries should set aside their differences to work together more effectively.

He called for a new cooperation paradigm that is built upon “mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit”, or what he referred to as “Three-M”.

This will allow the region to achieve “sustainable security and stability without leaving any country behind”.

Mr Prayuth also defended Thailand’s coup in 2014 when as the then army chief, he led the military to oust Yingluck Shinawatra’s government. He said that soldiers not only have the responsibility to maintain security, but should play a role in supporting national development and laying the foundations for sustainable development.

“The key problem in Thailand is political conflict and unprecedented divisiveness… Democracy existed only in form but not in function,” he said, adding that Thailand faced ineffective populism, rampant corruption, breakdown in rule of law and poor governance among others.

The military had to “come in to put the country on the track to reforms”, he said.

“We want to rebuild our democracy so that it is more sustainable.”

Mr Prayuth, who has been criticised for cracking down on civil liberties, said that his government has no intention to violate human rights and will enforce the law only in situations when it has been violated.

“Thailand’s equilibrium will help to maintain and protect Asean’s (Association of South-east Asian Nations) equilibrium, which will be vital to creating a new strategic equilibrium in the Asia Pacific,” he said.

“Doing this will take time. …We should not impose our own ideologies as a precondition for cooperation.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Prayuth was hosted to tea by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana when both leaders reaffirmed the longstanding and multi-faceted ties between Singapore and Thailand, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press statement on Friday evening.