•HRES 369 IH 
Whereas Thailand was the first treaty ally of the United 
States in the Asia-Pacific region, has a relationship with 
the United States that is built upon a commitment to 
universal values, and remains a steadfast friend of the 
United States; 
Whereas through the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Trea-
ty, done at Manila on September 8, 1954 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Manila Pact’’), the United States and 
Thailand expressed a joint desire to ‘‘strengthen the fab-
ric of peace and freedom and to uphold the principles of 
democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law’’; 
Whereas, in 1962, the United States and Thailand signed the 
Thanat-Rusk communique, through which the United 
States pledged to provide assistance to Thailand if it 
faced aggression by neighboring nations; 
Whereas through the Treaty of Amity and Economic Rela-
tions Between the Kingdom of Thailand and the United 
States of America, done at Bangkok on May 29, 1966, 
along with a diverse and growing trading relationship, 
the United States and Thailand have developed strong 
economic ties; 
Whereas the United States recognizes Thailand as a founding 
member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
(commonly known as ‘‘ASEAN’’); 
Whereas, on November 12, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden 
and the ASEAN leaders elevated United States-ASEAN 
relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to 
open new areas of cooperation vital to the future pros-
perity and security of the United States and ASEAN 
member nations; 
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•HRES 369 IH 
Whereas Thailand successfully served as host for the Asia- 
Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2022— 
(1) to revitalize economic recovery; 
(2) to restore connectivity following disruptions from 
the COVID–19 pandemic; and 
(3) to integrate inclusivity and sustainability objec-
tives in tandem with economic goals; 
Whereas Thailand was designated a major non-NATO ally in 
2003, and is 1 of the strongest security partners of the 
United States, a relationship reaffirmed by the Joint Vi-
sion Statement 2020 for the U.S.–Thai Defense Alliance; 
Whereas the Government of Thailand and the Government of 
the United States hold numerous joint military exercises, 
including Cobra Gold, the largest annual multinational 
military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, which is 
hosted by Thailand; 
Whereas the Government of Thailand continues to be a part-
ner on humanitarian and refugee assistance, including in 
multinational relief efforts following the 2004 Indian 
Ocean tsunami and 2015 Nepal earthquake; 
Whereas Thailand currently hosts more than 95,000 refu-
gees, primarily from Burma, and is an important United 
States partner in the provision of humanitarian assist-
ance to Burma; 
Whereas Thailand ended its absolute monarchy and 
transitioned to a constitutional monarchy in 1932, and 
has since revised its Constitution 19 times, including its 
1997 Constitution, which enshrined democratically elect-
ed representatives in a bicameral national assembly and 
the Prime Minister as head of government; 
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•HRES 369 IH 
Whereas, on May 22, 2014, the Royal Thai Armed Forces 
launched a coup d’etat through which it repealed the 
2007 Constitution, declared martial law, and replaced the 
civilian government with a military junta, known as the 
‘‘National Council for Peace and Order’’ (referred to in 
this preamble as the ‘‘NCPO’’), which was led by Army 
Commander in Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha; 
Whereas, on March 29, 2016, the NCPO unveiled a draft 
constitution, and on August 7, 2016, the NCPO held a 
deeply flawed referendum on the new constitution, which 
was intended to legitimize the document; 
Whereas the 2016 referendum was marred by widespread vio-
lations of rights to freedom of expression, association, 
and peaceful assembly; 
Whereas the NCPO ignored numerous calls from the United 
Nations and foreign governments to respect people’s 
rights to freely express their views on the draft constitu-
tion, and sharply curtailed freedoms in the lead-up to the 
constitutional referendum, prosecuting journalists and 
critics of the draft constitution, censoring the media, and 
preventing public gatherings of more than 5 people; 
Whereas the new Constitution, which was ratified on April 6, 
2017— 
(1) entrenched Thai military power at the expense of 
civilian political control; 
(2) obligated subsequent governments and Members 
of Parliament to adhere to a junta-issued ‘‘20-year re-
form plan’’; 
(3) contains provisions weakening the 500-member 
lower house and reserving 250 seats in the senate for 
NCPO-appointed senators and NCPO leaders, including 
the top leadership of the military and police; and 
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•HRES 369 IH 
(4) gives outsize power to unelected junta-selected 
senators to choose subsequent Prime Ministers; 
Whereas, in March 2019, Thailand held elections that— 
(1) several independent monitoring groups, citing 
both procedural and systemic problems, declared to be 
not fully free and fair and heavily tilted to favor the mili-
tary junta; and 
(2) resulted in the NCPO’s political party, headed 
by Prayuth Chan-ocha, forming a new government and 
appointing Prayuth as Prime Minister; 
Whereas, in January 2020, the opposition political party Fu-
ture Forward was dissolved and banned on order of Thai-
land’s Constitutional Court following a flawed legal proc-
ess premised on spurious charges; 
Whereas the Constitutional Court also ruled that Prime Min-
ister Prayuth Chan-ocha did not violate a constitutional 
provision limiting him to 8 years in office, despite having 
remained in power since the August 2014 coup d’etat; 
Whereas the Government of Thailand has not made progress 
in its investigation of violent attacks against some democ-
racy activists and the forced disappearances and killings 
of Thai political dissidents across Asia; 
Whereas, since February 2020, tens of thousands of pro-
testers across Thailand, composed primarily of students 
and youth, have peacefully called for democratically elect-
ed government, constitutional reform, and respect for 
human rights; 
Whereas the Government of Thailand responded to these 
largely peaceful protests with repressive measures, includ-
ing intimidation tactics, excessive use of force during pro-
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•HRES 369 IH 
tests, surveillance, harassment, arrests, violence, and im-
prisonment; 
Whereas, between 2020 and 2023, authorities of the Govern-
ment of Thailand have filed criminal proceedings against 
more than 1,800 activists for participating in mass dem-
onstrations and expressing their opinions, including more 
than 280 children, 41 of whom were younger than 15 
years of age; 
Whereas reports published in July 2022 by nongovernmental 
organizations found that Thai authorities used Pegasus 
spyware against at least 30 prodemocracy activists and 
individuals who called for reforms to the monarchy, and 
against academics and human rights defenders who have 
publicly criticized the Government of Thailand; 
Whereas, in October 2022, the Government of Thailand ab-
stained from a vote on a United Nations resolution to 
condemn Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of 4 
eastern regions of Ukraine; 
Whereas, in December 2022, the Government of Thailand 
hosted senior ministers from the Burmese military junta 
despite efforts by the United States and ASEAN to iso-
late the junta’s leadership diplomatically; 
Whereas, in 2022, China was Thailand’s largest trading part-
ner, with bilateral trade reaching $107,000,000,000 and 
accounting for nearly one-fifth of Thailand’s total foreign 
trade volume; and 
Whereas the Government of Thailand continues to consider 
the Draft Act on the Operation of Not-for-Profit Organi-
zations, which, if enacted— 
(1) will impose severe restrictions on nonprofit orga-
nizations operating in Thailand; and 
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•HRES 369 IH 
(2) will have an irreversible chilling effect on civil so-
ciety in Thailand and across the Southeast Asia region 
generally: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the strong relationship between 
the United States and Thailand, a relationship based 
on shared democratic values and strategic interests; 
(2) is in solidarity with the people of Thailand 
in their quest for a democratically elected govern-
ment, political reforms, long-term peace, and respect 
for established international human rights stand-
ards; 
(3) urges the Government of Thailand to pro-
tect and uphold democracy, human rights, the rule 
of law, and rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, 
freedom of expression, and privacy; 
(4) urges the Government of Thailand to create 
conditions for credible and fair elections in May 
2023, including by— 
(A) enabling opposition parties and polit-
ical leaders to carry out their activities without 
undue interference from state authorities; 
(B) enabling media, journalists, and mem-
bers of civil society to exercise freedoms of ex-
pression, peaceful assembly, and association, 
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•HRES 369 IH 
without repercussion and fear of prosecution; 
and 
(C) ensuring that the tallying of votes is 
fair and transparent; 
(5) urges the Government of Thailand to re-
lease and drop charges against political activists and 
refrain from harassing, intimidating, or persecuting 
those engaged in peaceful protests and civic activity 
more broadly, with particular care for the rights and 
well-being of children and students; 
(6) calls on the Government of Thailand to 
drop consideration of the Draft Act on the Oper-
ation of Not-for-Profit Organizations and reform 
other laws and regulations undermining free expres-
sion and access to information; 
(7) urges the Government of Thailand to inves-
tigate and end spyware attacks that have targeted 
academics, human rights defenders, and key mem-
bers of various prodemocracy groups; 
(8) calls on the Government of Thailand to re-
peal or revise laws and decrees that are used to cen-
sor online content and speech related to the electoral 
process, including Thailand’s— 
(A) lese majeste law; 
(B) Computer-Related Crime Act; and 
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•HRES 369 IH 
(C) sedition laws; 
(9) communicates to the Government of Thai-
land that continuing violations of the rights of the 
people of Thailand to express themselves and partici-
pate in the political process will make it impossible 
for the United States to recognize the next general 
election as free and fair, regardless of outcome; and 
(10) unequivocally states that direct or indirect 
military or royal intervention before, during, or after 
the general election would— 
(A) undermine bilateral relations between 
the United States and Thailand; and 
(B) endanger economic and security assist-
ance to Thailand and regional and economic co-
operation. 
Æ 
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