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News
August 16, 2003 Former Defence Secretary Urges CEO Governors to Adopt US Military Mantra Wichit Chaitrong, The Nation, Thailand Former US Secretary of Defence William Cohen yesterday urged Thailand's "chief-executive" governors to apply US military strategies to provincial administration in the wake of the threat of terrorism in the region. "Stability and security are fundamentals, no one wants to put money in chaotic areas", Cohen told provincial governors, permanent secretaries to ministries and directors-general of government departments. Cohen is one of a series international figures invited by the government to lecture senior officials as part of a public-sector reform programme aimed at enhancing Thailand's competitiveness. Cohen suggested the governors apply US defence strategies built around three key ingredients - "shape, respond and prepare". One important task of the governors will be to get out and shape public opinion politically and economically, according to Cohen. That is one of the methods employed by the US Defence Department when it deploys US forces around the world to bring stability to troubled regions.Secondly, "response" requires a governor to be flexible in order to cope with any contingency. He used another comparison with military operations, noting that US forces were trained not only in combat, but also in providing humanitarian relief to aid people following earthquakes and other natural disasters. For the third element, preparedness, Cohen said CEOs had to constantly monitor potential threats and develop tools, including technology and manpower, to counter those risks. Cohen also said investment would not go to provinces where there was corruption. If CEOs in either business or politics are dishonest, they must be held accountable. He said it was key that the governors protect the peoples' right to free speech: "Free minds and free markets go together," he said.  Top
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