US welcomes new PM, interim charter
WASHINGTON - The United States responded positively Monday to the appointment of a former army chief as Thailand's prime minister after last month's military coup, which drew US condemnation and sanctions.
US takes wait-and-see approach to new Thai prime minister - BPT But senior officials said the real test of the military-installed Thai government would be whether it follows through on promises of a quick return to democratic rule. Retired general Surayud Chulanont took office on Sunday, less than two weeks after the army toppled the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the first coup in the southeast Asian nation in 15 years. While Washington denounced the coup as a major setback for Thailand, a key ally in the region, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Surayud's quick appointment by the military junta, or council, was welcome, as were elements of a new interim constitution for his government. "In naming Prime Minister Surayud, the council did fulfill a pledge that it made to its people as well as to the international community, to name an interim prime minister within two weeks of taking power," he said. "My understanding is the interim constitution that he will be working under provides guarantees for basic civil liberties and basic rights of the people, and that that is something we very much want to see carried out," Casey said. A senior US official downplayed concerns that a former army chief could not bexpected to act independently of Thailand's powerful military, but said Washington would be monitoring the new government closely. "I don't think anyone views him as someone who is simply a stalking horse for the military," the official said on condition of anonymity. But the coup "really did represent a setback for Thai democracy, and I think it potentially has broader repercussions for other countries in the region, so it's not just about naming him and having him be a nice guy and someone we can talk to, it's whether they carry out their promises," he said. The official said Washington would closely monitor the military's pledge to hold new elections next year and the Surayud government's implementation of provisions in the interim constitution guaranteeing freedom of expression. "That's a real first test for this interim government -- there's a paper commitment to it, we need to see that comitment be realised and fulfilled," he said. Agence France-Presse
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