US ambassador reaffirms Thailand’s key role amid election focus

No matter who wins the US presidential race on November 5, Thailand will remain the United States’ top ally in Southeast Asia, US Ambassador Robert F Godec said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a workshop on the presidential election held by the US embassy in collaboration with the Thai Journalists Association.

“The world is looking at the US, so we have to take a leading role in promoting people worldwide to access the fundamental right to choose their regime,” he said.

Though democracy is not perfect, it is still the best governing tool the US has, he said.

Godec added that Washington would remain committed to promoting fundamental freedoms, democracy, human rights, prosperity and strong ties with allies, regardless of who occupies the White House.

“No matter who becomes the president … Thailand will be the first friend in the region,” he said, citing the two countries’ strong bilateral ties that date back 190 years.

Political rights and liberty

Addressing concerns about political violence such as the attack on the Capitol, Godec said Americans have the right and liberty to express their opinions or call for changes on the result of the presidential election.

The US Capitol Building in Washington DC was attacked by supporters of Republican candidate Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, after he was defeated by Democrat candidate Joe Biden in the November 2020 presidential election.

“Peaceful protests will always be protected under the constitution,” he said, adding, however, that political violence like the attempt on Trump’s life was unacceptable.

On July 13 this year, a bullet whizzed past Trump and grazed his right ear while he was delivering a speech at an open-air rally in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania native 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks had shot eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle at Trump, which resulted in killing one member of the audience and critically injuring two others. Crooks was subsequently killed by the US Special Ops team.

Accurate and neutral reporting

In his speech, Godec said that the media plays an important role in providing accurate, unbiased reports to the public, starting from first understanding the complexity of the US elections.

He explained that the presidential election was among many votes held in the United States every year, adding that the processes for electing congressional representatives, the Senate and local executives were all different.

However, he said, the most important thing is to ensure that every election accurately reflects people’s demands.

The ambassador pointed out that misinformation and disinformation, or false and misleading information especially generated by artificial intelligence (AI), trigger a global impact.

“Reporters should make sure that data comes from reliable sources, and check the source as much as possible to ensure that they deliver the best and the most accurate data to the public,” he said.

 

Principles of democracy

Godec said state officials, politicians, and the public are all responsible for expressing their opinions as much as possible to ensure that society stays strong and that there is good governance.

Civil society and the media play a crucial role in proposing services that the government cannot or should not provide, he said, adding that discussions at the community level are evidence of the strength of democracy.

He explained that democracy allows the government to learn and improve itself while allowing people to elect their desired government. For instance, he said, the 1960 Civil Rights Act eliminated discrimination and allowed African Americans to cast their ballot and participate in political activities.

He said it is a good thing that both the US and Thailand are democracies and they can both learn from one another.