Thai Diplomacy Is Now in Need of a Reset

外媒：泰国外交现在需要重启

作者：曼谷邮报         来源：伊洛瓦底江

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra offers an apology at a press conference on June 19 for her leaked phone call with Cambodia's ex-leader Hun Sen in which she was heard saying a Thai military officer overseeing the border dispute was on the ‘opposite side’ and offering to cater to Hun Sen's demands. / AFP

6月19日，泰国总理佩通坦·钦那瓦在新闻发布会上为她与柬埔寨前领导人洪森（Hun Sen）的电话被泄露一事道歉。在电话中，有人听到她说，负责边境争端的一名泰国军官站在“对面”，愿意满足洪森的要求。/法新社

For the record, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has committed the most damaging diplomatic blunder in Thailand’s modern history. The leaked 17.6-minute audio clip of a phone call between her and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was not just embarrassing—it was devastating, not only for her but for the Thai people and the country.

郑重声明，泰国总理佩通坦·钦那瓦犯下了泰国现代史上最具破坏性的外交错误。这段17.6分钟的英拉与柬埔寨前首相洪森的通话录音不仅让人尴尬，而且对她本人、对泰国人民和整个国家来说都是毁灭性的打击。

The embattled prime minister has admitted she used her private phone call to hold a discussion with Hun Sen, whom she amicably called “Uncle”.

这位四面楚歌的首相承认，她使用私人电话与洪森进行了讨论，她亲切地称洪森为“叔叔”。

In the clip, she also berated Second Region Army Commander Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang—who is busy defending the Thai-Cambodian border amid tensions between the two nations—by calling him “the opposition”, and she offered Hun Sen “whatever he wanted”. For a sitting prime minister, even a newly minted one, this was like a likay or folk opera, as the Thais would describe it.

在视频中，佩通坦还斥责了在两国紧张局势中忙于保卫泰柬边境的第二军区司令布辛中将，称他为“反对派”，并向洪森提供了“任何他想要的”。对于一位在任总理来说，即使是新上任的总理，这就像泰国人所说的一场歌剧或民间歌剧。

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) now finds itself scrambling to salvage what is left of the country’s diplomatic standing. A government statement was hastily released, expressing “deep disappointment” over Hun Sen’s breach of diplomatic norms.

外交部（MFA）现在发现自己正忙于挽救该国仅剩的外交地位。政府匆忙发布了一份声明，对洪森违反外交准则表示“深感失望”。

The Cambodian ambassador, Hun Saroeun, was summoned to acknowledge a formal protest from the Thai government. On the same day, the Thai ambassador to Cambodia, Tull Traisorat, returned to Bangkok for consultations. These are standard crisis-control procedures, but the damage has been done.

柬埔寨驻泰国大使洪森（Hun saroun）被传唤，接受泰国政府的正式抗议。同一天，泰国驻柬埔寨大使全崔索拉（Tull Traisorat）返回曼谷进行磋商。这些都是标准的危机控制程序，但损害已经造成。

According to some accounts, Paetongtarn was not briefed or prepared for such a direct conversation, which reveals her character and her true depth. The audio clip shows the real side of Paetongtarn.

根据一些说法，佩通坦没有听取简报，也没有为这样直接的谈话做准备，这揭示了她的性格和她的真正深度。这段音频片段展示了佩通坦的真实一面。

Those familiar with her diplomatic style—or lack thereof—know she rarely strays from prepared scripts. At Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summits, for instance, she typically reads from an iPad.

那些熟悉她的外交风格——或者缺乏外交风格——的人都知道，她很少偏离事先准备好的剧本。例如，在东南亚国家联盟（ASEAN）峰会上，她通常用iPad阅读。

She avoids off-the-cuff questions, and her focus has thus far been limited to economic cooperation, trade promotion and soft-power hullabaloo. She has never waded into complex politics or thorny regional disputes.

她避免即兴提问，到目前为止，她的关注点仅限于经济合作、贸易促进和软实力的大吹大擂。她从未涉足复杂的政治或棘手的地区争端。

The private phone call has changed the whole dynamics of Thailand-Cambodian relations. Paetongtarn was just being herself. The conversation was unscripted and unsupervised. Apparently, the whole task is beyond her abilities.

这次私人电话改变了泰柬关系的整个动态。佩通坦只是在做她自己。这次谈话没有稿子，也没有人监督。显然，整个任务超出了她的能力范围。

At the other end of the line is one of the world’s most seasoned politicians who has spent four decades mastering the art of war, diplomacy and regional realpolitik. At 38, Paetongtarn was a rookie lightweight boxer taking on a longstanding heavyweight champion.

电话的另一端是世界上经验最丰富的政治家之一，他花了40年时间掌握战争、外交和地区现实政治的艺术。38岁的佩通坦是一名菜鸟轻量级拳击手，面对的是长期重量级冠军。

In the past week, the most frequently asked questions on all media platforms were why she called him in the first place and why she addressed herself as a niece, groveling and seeking approval from a powerful “Uncle”.

过去一周，所有媒体平台上最常被问到的问题是，她为什么首先给他打电话，以及她为什么称自己为侄女，卑躬屈膝地寻求一个强大的“叔叔”的认可。

Equally amazing was that nobody anticipated the potential backlash, especially her father, Thaksin?Shinawatra, a so-called brother-in-arms and former adviser to Hun Sen. Their frenemy relationship dates back to 1994.

同样令人惊讶的是，没有人预料到潜在的反弹，尤其是她的父亲，他信·钦那瓦，一个所谓的洪森的兄弟，他们的敌友关系可以追溯到1994年。

Paetongtarn’s premiership is now on the precipice as the leaked audio has become a symbol of national embarrassment, and numerous lawsuits have been filed against her. Memes, jokes and angry commentary now dominate Thai social media. The opposition wants her to resign. Protesters are growing louder by the day, calling for her resignation or the dissolution of parliament. The coalition government also faces a new challenge as the Bhumjaithai Party, a key ally, withdrew from the government shortly after the leak.

由于泄露的音频已成为国家尴尬的象征，佩通坦的总理职位现在处于悬崖边缘，针对她的诉讼也不计其数。表情包、笑话和愤怒的评论现在主导着泰国的社交媒体。反对派希望她辞职。抗议者的呼声日益高涨，要求她辞职或解散议会。联合政府还面临着新的挑战，因为其关键盟友普密泰党在泄密事件发生后不久退出了政府。

In the civil service, particularly within the MFA, morale is at a historic low, as diplomats and officials feel bypassed and ignored. Since Paetongtarn took office, decisions on foreign affairs have been made by Thaksin and his small inner circle.

在公务员队伍中，特别是在外交部内部，由于外交官和官员感到被忽视，士气处于历史低点。自佩通坦上任以来，外交事务的决定一直由他信和他的小圈子做出。

Since former foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara stepped down last April, the ministry has been adrift. There is no strong figure at the helm and no one with the authority to rein in damage or chart a strategic course.

自从前外交部长帕恩普雷·巴希德达-努卡拉去年4月辞职以来，外交部一直处于游离状态。没有强有力的人物掌舵，也没有人有权力控制损失或制定战略方针。

As such, Thailand urgently needs to do three things.

因此，泰国迫切需要做三件事。

First, the MFA’s reputation must be restored. The Saranrom Palace needs a new leader who commands respect, both within the ministry and in the region. Someone with a mandate to act in the national interest. So far, Thai diplomacy has been too personalized.

首先，必须恢复外交部的声誉。萨兰罗姆宫（Saranrom Palace）需要一位在该部和该地区都受到尊重的新领导人。一个被授权为国家利益行事的人。到目前为止，泰国的外交过于个人化。

Second, at the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from July 9 to 11, the MFA must reassure its colleagues of Thailand’s commitment to peace and stability. Obviously, it should not be the platform to amplify bilateral border issues, which would risk regionalizing the current problem. Thailand should continue its long-standing preference for quiet diplomacy, and strengthen ASEAN centrality.

第二，在即将于7月9日至11日举行的东盟外长会上，外交部要向各方重申泰方致力于维护和平与稳定。显然，它不应该成为扩大双边边界问题的平台，因为这有可能使目前的问题区域化。泰国应继续其长期以来对安静外交的偏好，并加强在东盟的中心地位。

Thailand must also continue to nurture bilateral mechanisms, as well as reaffirm its commitment to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and its principles. It is wiser to conduct diplomacy behind the scenes, allowing both sides to manage the crisis without the megaphone and theatrics that could set dangerous precedents within ASEAN.

泰国还必须继续培育双边机制，并重申对《友好与合作条约》及其原则的承诺。更明智的做法是在幕后进行外交，让双方在没有可能在东盟内部树立危险先例的扩音器和戏剧的情况下处理危机。

Third, strategic communication must be rebuilt. This government has utterly failed in communicating with the public, especially on international issues; the public is confused and angry. Concerned officials, both civilians and uniformed, are demoralized. ASEAN colleagues and dialogue partners are watching with bewilderment. The government needs to speak coherently and regularly to state facts to placate disinformation and xenophobic narratives.

第三，必须重建战略沟通。这届政府在与公众沟通方面完全失败，尤其是在国际问题上；公众感到困惑和愤怒。有关官员，无论是平民还是军警，都士气低落。东盟同行和对话伙伴国对此表示不解。政府需要有条理、有规律地陈述事实，以平息虚假信息和仇外言论。

While Paetongtarn has lost credibility abroad, at home, her misstep has cost her leverage and severely weakened the Pheu Thai-led government.

虽然佩通坦在国外失去了信誉，但在国内，她的失误使她失去了影响力，并严重削弱了为泰党领导的政府。

Her father, who often gleefully asserts himself in public, has uncharacteristically tiptoed from the scene, leaving his daughter at the chopping board, only adding salt to the wounds. Public anger has grown over the week as the government ponders the reshuffle list. In the footsteps of her father and aunt, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Paetongtarn has insisted she will not resign. She has argued that her servile tone with Hun Sun was just a negotiation tactic to help restore peace.

她的父亲经常兴高采烈地在公众面前表明自己的立场，这次却一反常态地踮着脚尖离开了现场，把女儿留在案板上，这无异于在伤口上撒盐。随着政府考虑改组名单，公众的愤怒在过去一周中不断增长。继她的父亲和姑姑、前总理英拉·钦那瓦之后，佩通坦坚持自己不会辞职。她辩称，她对洪森的卑躬屈膝的语气只是一种谈判策略，以帮助恢复和平。

The leaked audio clip also comes at an unfavorable time for Thai diplomacy, with the MFA commemorating its 150th anniversary this year. It is vital to demonstrate that foreign policy is not a family affair and cannot be improvised. The country needs to return to the basics to rebuild its diplomatic credibility.

这段泄露的音频片段也出现在泰国外交的不利时期，因为今年是外交部成立150周年。至关重要的是，要表明外交政策不是家庭事务，也不能即兴发挥。这个国家需要回归基本，重建其外交信誉。

作者：曼谷邮报         来源：伊洛瓦底江