'Ties with Thailand will be back on track'

The Straits Times, February 7, 2007


MINISTER for Foreign Affairs George Yeo is confident that relations between Singapore and Thailand will be back on track.

The reason: links between them are 'extensive and deep-rooted'. Both also share many common interests.

Not least among them is football.

Mr Yeo disclosed that he had written to his Thai counterpart, Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram, to thank the Thai Government for what it did during the Asean Football Championship final in Bangkok.

It had made a 'special effort' to ensure the well-being of Singapore's football players and supporters during the match on Sunday, he said.

Mr Yeo was addressing 300 business leaders and diplomats at the launch of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (SCCCI) centennial book, Elements Of Enterprise, to mark the end of its year-long celebrations.

Giving an overview of Singapore's relations with its neighbours, the minister said: 'Politically, we have good relations with all our important economic partners.' From time to time, there could be 'problems like the present one with Thailand', he acknowledged. 'We take such problems in our stride.'

Ties between the two countries hit a rocky patch in recent months, after former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of his family's shares in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings.

Thailand later cancelled a civil service exchange after Mr Thaksin made a private visit here. It also set up a panel to probe allegations that Singapore was spying on Thailand's military phone conversations.

These developments led to concerns that anti-Singapore sentiments would be stoked during the weekend football match, and among the measures Thailand took was to provide a police escort for the Singapore team.

Mr Yeo made it clear that Singapore 'supports the efforts of the present Thai Government in quickly restoring constitutional rule based on justice and fairness'.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Yeo was asked how long it would take for bilateral ties to return to normal.

'We shouldn't rush these things,' he said and noted that Singapore's ties with Thailand go back a long way. Outside the Old Parliament House is a statue from King Chulalongkorn in 1871, and over different Thai administrations and the ups and downs in Thai history, we have kept very close links with Thailand - business links, political links, even blood links'.

Turning to Singapore's immediate neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia, Mr Yeo said in his speech that 'our overall relations are improving. If they prosper, we too will benefit.'

Business networks such as the SCCCI, by working with their counterparts in these countries, play a crucial role in helping Singapore cultivate good relations, he said.

'Business operates on the basis of win-win relationships and that is the surest basis for good relations between countries,' he said.

With globalisation, non-governmental networks will matter more and more.

'The Government can only do so much,' he said. 'Among ourselves, we must have the instinct to share information and co-ordinate our efforts so that Singapore as a whole, is more effective.'

Clarence Chang, STI senior correspondent