Thai opposition vs. IMF (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Thai opposition launches broadside against IMF
meddling                     
Date: Thu Jan 28 08:06:12 CST 1999
 
   BANGKOK, Jan 28 (AFP) - Thailand's leading opposition party Thursday
accused the IMF of "unscrupulous" meddling in the country's internal
affairs in the midst of a parliamentary censure debate against the
government.
   The New Aspiration Party (NAP) under former premier Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh released an open letter blasting International Monetary
Fund (IMF) Asia Pacific deputy director Anoop Singh as "unscrupulous"
and irresponsible.
   The letter addressed to "The Director, the IMF" accused Singh of
giving a media interview in which he favourably compared the current
government with Chavalit's.
   "Undoubtedly you must be aware of the ongoing no confidence debate in
the Thai parliament," the letter said.
   "As a representative of the IMF, the officer (Singh) is supposed to
be politically neutral and assume a disinterested attitude.
   "The political inscruple (sic), diplomatic insensitivity, poor
professionalism and the lack of etiquette which the officer as a
representative of the IMF has displayed by his remark have thus been
registered."
   The NAP was embroiled in the second and last day of its censure
attack against the government of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, targeting
three ministers with accusations of corruption and incompetence.
   Finance Minister Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda was expected to be grilled
Thursday over his handling of the economic crisis, particularly the
NAP's claim he has sacrificed Thailand's economic sovereignty to the
IMF.
   Tarrin has been working to rebuild the shattered economy under a 17.2
billion dollar bailout fund approved by the IMF during the Chavalit
administration in August 1997.
   In brief responses during Wednesday's debate, a confident Tarrin
warned Chavalit that the opposition's tactics could easily backfire.
   "You must accept responsibility for inflicting enormous damage to the
country," said Tarrin as he pointed to Chavalit, who allegedly refused
to heed an IMF warning about the impending crisis in early 1997.
   Tarrin has not been called to speak so far during Thursday's debate,
which is being broadcast live on national television.    Chavalit gave a
hint of things to come earlier Thursday when he warned the IMF not to
criticise Thailand.
   "Thailand is an independent country and the IMF has no right to
criticise Thailand," he told the House. 
   "I want to tell Thais who use foreigners for this purpose (to
criticise Thailand) that they will have to pay."
   The NAP's letter called on the IMF to issue a statement "rectifying
the damage" caused by Singh's "blatant intervention of Thai politics."
   "The officer who perpetrated the unbecoming act cast reasonable doubt
on the IMF's integrity and implied possibility of shameful and
preposterous collusion between the IMF personnel and our high
officials."
   The NAP statement did not provide details of Singh's interview, which
did not appear in any Thai papers Thursday.
   Some Thai politicians have demanded a complete review of Thailand's
IMF-backed reform programme following the Fund's admission earlier this
month that it had made some mistakes in its initial assessment of the
crisis.
   Although the IMF has repeatedly praised Tarrin for pulling the
crisis-hit economy back from the brink of bankruptcy, his adherence to
the Fund's tough strategy of economic austerity has angered many at
home.
   However, analysts say the government's comfortable parliamentary
majority means there is little chance the opposition will succeed in its
censure bid.