U.S. Suspending Some Aid to Thai Authorities in Response to Coup
28 September 2006
Programs affected include military financing, training and peacekeeping
Washington -- The United States has suspended nearly $24 million worth of assistance to the Thai government for programs such as military financing, military training and peacekeeping operations as a response to Thailand’s September 19 military coup.
Announcing the aid suspension, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said September 28 that the Bush administration continues to urge “a rapid return to democratic rule and early elections,” and hopes to reinstate the suspended aid programs “after a democratically elected government takes office.”
Under Section 508 of the U.S. Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, when a country undergoes a military coup, the United States is restricted from providing aid such as foreign military financing, International Military Education and Training grants, peacekeeping operations, and military aid that falls under Section 1206 of the of the 2006 Defense Authorization law.
McCormack said U.S. law stipulates that “until and unless the president and … the secretary of state is able to determine that there is a democratically-elected government in place, these funds and these programs will be suspended.”
However, he added that certain aid programs that fall outside the confines of Section 508 would not be suspended, such as those seeking to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and an outbreak of avian flu.
“[W]e want to see … Thailand get back as quickly as possible onto the pathway of democracy. They are not currently on that pathway. The coup was a setback, it was a real setback for Thai democracy,” he said.
The Bush administration wants to see “a return to adherence of democratic principles,” which the spokesman defined as the ability of political parties to form and discuss their platforms “in a free manner,” freedom of expression and elections “as soon as possible.”
“[Y]ou also want to have an interim government that is a government committed to the principles of democracy and acting on those principles of democracy,” he said.
A senior State Department official speaking on background explained that under Section 508 of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, if a military coup occurs, the United States government is required by law to take action and review its assistance programs directed to that country to determine which remain relevant to U.S. policy, and which should be suspended.
“So that’s what we’ve done and the announcement today is to say we looked at it. We looked at the law, we looked at our assistance programs [and] this is what we’re suspending.”
The official gave further details on the nearly $24 million in aid to Thailand that has been suspended, and said all of it is connected to military programs.
Of the $14 million appropriated to Thailand in fiscal year 2006 under the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, $4.1 million for the Foreign Military Fund (FMF) and $.13 for the International Military Education and Training (IMET) has been suspended.
The remaining $9.77 million under the money bill that does not go directly to the government or has been deemed in the U.S. national interest, will continue, the official said, “such as anti-terrorism programs, combating weapons of mass destruction, and fighting communicable diseases.”
The official said $16.3 million under Section 1206 of the 2006 Defense Authorization Act has been suspended, which is “used to train and equip foreign military forces for counterterrorism operations or to participate in operations in which the U.S. military is a participant.”
Finally, $3.29 million used to train and equip Thai military forces to participate in multinational peace support operations has been suspended.
“Thailand is a participant in the Global Peace Operations Initiative, which is a five-year presidential initiative to increase the capacity of countries around the world to participate in peace operations,” the official explained.
The official repeated that other aid, such as humanitarian programs, would not be affected by the decision. The United States is continuing to fund programs in Thailand that deal with environmental issues, health issues such as HIV/AIDS and avian flu, counterproliferation, supporting refugees along Thailand’s border, as well as funds that go toward nongovernmental organizations and Thailand’s participation in regional programs.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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