Showing 31 - 35 of 35
Making sense of Asean's view on Rakhine
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/04/2018
» With Singapore as the chair, Asean's every word and move must be meticulously crafted and choreographed. There can't be any loose ends. There is no exception when it comes to the delicate situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State where violent clashes erupted back in October 2016 have forced nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to escape to Bangladesh.
Singapore's Asean tests: twists and turns
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/02/2018
» Judging from the well-crafted statement on the Asean foreign ministers' retreat in the Lion City last week, Singapore as the current chair of the regional grouping has its work cut out for it.
Cobra Gold 2018: No more cheap talk, just action
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/02/2018
» The Cobra Gold multilateral military exercise is a barometer of how strong the Thai-US security commitment is despite several hiccups in recent years. Thailand's strategic role and value cannot be underestimated, especially at this pivotal juncture with the fluid security landscape of the region. After nearly a decade of inertia, the Thai and US administrations are gradually fine-tuning their wave-lengths and meeting mutual security needs.
The 184-year-old paradox of elephant-eagle relations
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/10/2017
» The elephant and eagle as symbols of Thailand and the United States were not the creation of today's news spin-meisters. In 1833, US president Andrew Jackson gave a gift to King Rama III that symbolised one of the most important relations the US had with the outside world -- its first foreign mission in Asia. Jackson gave the king a sword with an eagle representing America and an elephant representing Siam carved into the handle.
Tillerson's 5-hour trip to reset Thai-US ties
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/08/2017
» When US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson returns to Bangkok Tuesday for a five-hour visit, he will find a bruised but confident ally ready to reset the 185-year-old Thai-US relations. This 300-minute interlude should prove extremely significant in determining the future of Thai-US relations. Lest we forget, his trip precedes a scheduled two-day visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov starting tomorrow.