Statement regarding Thai Prime Minister’s comment on

Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi

Date: August 29, 2008
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s characterization of Aung San Suu Kyi as a “political
tool of the west” proved him as unwise and narrow-minded. Thai government’s dual-purpose
foreign policy towards Burma will not create a democratic environment in Burma. It will only
strengthen the military rule in Burma

Today, Thailand is facing political turmoil because of Samak’s ill-informed and unethical decision
to protect the corrupt former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. We anticipate Samak to be
removed by people power soon in the future.

Samak has been known as a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now
applying for political asylum in Britain to avoid the corruption charges against him and his wife.
The opposition contends that Samak is trying to amend the constitution, which will protect
Thaksin from these charges.

Samak only knows how to please the Burmese generals. In return, he hopes for favors in the form
of fishing and logging concessions, just like his predecessor General Chavalit Younchaiyudh, who
was the first foreign official to make a business deal with the Burmese generals after the 1988
uprising in Burma. Youchaiyudh was rewarded with lucrative deals and became a billionaire.
Thai politicians make economic deals with Burma based on personal interest, not national
interest. Chavalit called Burma’s former strongman General Saw Maung his elder brother.
Similarly, Samak praised General Than Shwe as a religious man and vowed he would cook for
Than Shwe when the latter visits Thailand. All these shameless acts performed by the leading
Thai politicians have only one motive--to get rich.

On the other hand, Samak told the reporters after meeting Gambari: “Efforts to engage the
military regime would be more productive if Aung San Suu Kyi was left off the agenda.” It
shows Samak is breaking one of the ASEAN’s fundamental principles, which is “non-interference
in the internal affairs of one another.” Samak is actively interfering with Burma’s internal affairs,
siding with SPDC, the ruling authorities, and speaking on behalf of the regime.

We strongly denounce the Thai Prime Minister for his insult of our elected leader Aung San Suu
Kyi and demand that he changes his tone and apologizes to Aung San Suu Kyi.

We will unite with Thai activist brothers and sisters who are trying to get rid of the unqualified
semi-politician Businessman Samak.

We strongly believe that Thais and Burmese deserve rightful leaders who care about their
countrymen and countrywomen, who want to see democratic changes not just in their country but
also in Southeast Asia and beyond.
88 Generation Students (Exile)