Thailand names career diplomat as new foreign minister

Bangkok - Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej has approved the appointment of a respected career diplomat as the country's next foreign minister amid a deepening political crisis in the country, the government announced Monday. Saroj Chavamaviraj, 66, was named the new foreign minister after royal approval was granted Sunday, a government announcement broadcast on Thai television said. Saroj rose to be permanent secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry for four years before his final posting as ambassador to France. He retired from the ministry in 2002. His appointment followed the shock resignation Wednesday of his predecessor, Tej Bunnag, which dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the current government under Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. Tej was also a respected career diplomat who had been asked to step in as foreign minister when the previous minister, Noppadon Pattama, was forced to resign in disgrace after his controversial handling of joint Thai-Cambodian claims to the ancient Hindu temple of Preah Vihear on the two countries' border. Tej's resignation came at a time of intense political crisis for Samak. On September 2, Samak declared a state of emergency in Bangkok after a violent street clash between pro-government and anti-government protestors left one person dead and 43 injured. Thousands of followers of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have occupied Government House, the government's headquarters, since August 26, demanding Samak's resignation. The protestors have defied the emergency decree, which outlaws the gathering of more than five people while the military, responsible for enforcing the decree, has refused to use force to remove the demonstrators from the seat of Thailand's government. Samak has refused to step down. Saroj faces several tough tasks in the near future. Not only will he be responsible for explaining Thailand's political crisis to the international community, but he must prepare for the upcoming annual summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in December and also deal with the rift with Thailand's neighbour Cambodia over Preah Vihear. Joint claims to land adjacent to the temple triggered a military standoff between the two countries in July.