Tillerson to Bangkok: Work against Pyongyang
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday pressed Thai leaders for more action on North Korea, during the highest level visit to Thailand by a US official since a military coup in 2014 soured relations with Washington.
Tillerson’s top priority has been urging Southeast Asian countries to do more to cut funding streams for North Korea.
The United States believes North Korean front companies are active in Thailand and is trying to encourage the Thais to shut them down, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton told reporters aboard Tillerson’s plane.
The companies are using Bangkok as a regional hub and change their names frequently, she said.
Before meeting with Tillerson, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand would support a UN resolution on new sanctions on Pyongyang over its missile tests. But he made no mention of specific action.
The United States was encouraging Thailand to take as many North Korean refugees as it can handle, Thornton said. Reuters reported exclusively last week that the number of North Koreans slipping illegally into Thailand has surged in recent months.
Thailand’s own politics and human rights record were also in focus, as Washington strengthens relations with its oldest ally in the region after they were downgraded following the coup.
“We want Thailand to emerge as a strengthened democracy that respects and guarantees human rights and fundamental freedoms at home and plays a leading role in advancing regional security and prosperity,” a US Embassy spokesman said.
Tillerson met with Thailand’s foreign minister, Don Pramudwinai, before junta chief Prayuth. Don also emphasized support for the UN resolution on North Korea. Following his meeting with Tillerson, Don told reporters in Bangkok that trade between Thailand and North Korea had dropped sharply over the past year.
“Thailand will act as a good member of the United Nations... one result is trade which dropped significantly. It dropped 94%,” Don told reporters.
US President Donald Trump has spoken to Prayuth by telephone and invited him to the White House, but no date has been set yet.
Trump on Tuesday praised other nations for addressing North Korea’s missile program, days after the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang over two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.
“After many years of failure, countries are coming together to finally address the dangers posed by North Korea. We must be tough & decisive!,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.
The council passed the US-drafted resolution on North Korea on Saturday.