Assessment of the Influence Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Have on the Settlement of the Kampuchean Conflict.

摘要

The purpose of this research effort was to explore the influence Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have on the settlement of the Kampuchean Conflict. Because Thailand is one of the original members of ASEAN and potentially faces the most direct threat from the conflict, Thailand's relationships with its neighbors and with ASEAN were examined. Although some background information is included, the major emphasis of this research is placed on events occuring after the invasion of Kampuchea in 1978 by Soviet-backed Vietnam. Political, economic, and strategic events provide a background in which the relationships of the major players in the Southeast Asian region are studied. Towards this end, a brief history of the relationship between Thailand and the United States is discussed to show how the foreign policy interests of the United States coincide with those of Thailand. Along the same lines, the Soviet's relationship with Vietnam and Kampuchea was explored as well as the influence exerted by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the region. Theses. (sdw)