Tuesday, 01-25-2005

What the U.S. Needs to Know about SE Asia (Evening Lecture/Q&A)

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Program Summary

Ambassador Darryl Johnson, who was in Thailand during the tsunami and has just returned to the U.S., will comment on the tsunami's aftermath and on what the U.S. needs to know about SE Asia in the post-9/11 world.

Program Summary

Southeast Asia is a region with vastly different countries grappling with many different issues. The relationships that the United States has with these countries have changed dramatically since September 11, 2001. Concerns about terrorism and Islamic extremism have jumped to the forefront of an agenda that was once dominated by trade and investment. But there is much more to the region than security concerns. Globalization - economic development, free trade, and foreign investment - still is a powerful shaper of the region's economies and the U.S.'s involvement in the region. Other important issues are environmental protection, trafficking in human beings, human rights, piracy, AIDS, and much more.

While the U.S. remains an important player in Southeast Asian politics, its influence has waned as it focues on the war on terror. China especially has made diplomatic in-roads in the region. As with East Asian nations, Southeast Asian countries have recovered from their economic recessions of the late 1990s thanks in large part to tightening economic ties with China. Many university students who once would have studied English as their second language are now choosing to study Chinese instead.

Ambassador Johnson will reflect on these issues and answer questions from the audience.

Co-Sponsors

Seattle Art Museum
Battelle

Co-Presenter

Southeast Asia Center, UW Jackson School of International Studies

Profile of Ambassador Johnson

Darryl N. Johnson was sworn in as American Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand on December 7, 2001. He took up his post in late December and presented his credentials to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on March 29, 2002. His previous assignment was as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, responsible for China and Mongolia.

Before joining the Foreign Service in 1965, Ambassador Johnson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, teaching English in Lamphun Province. His first Foreign Service assignment was to the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, India, after which he undertook Chinese language training, followed by assignment to the Consulate General in Hong Kong (1969-73). His other overseas postings have included Moscow (1974-77), Beijing (1984-87) and Warsaw (1988-91). He served as the first U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania (1991-94), and later served in Taipei as the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (1996-99). In Washington he held a variety of positions, including Yugoslav Desk Officer (1977-79), PRC Desk Officer (1979-81), Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs (1982-84), Deputy Coordinator for Assistance to the countries of the former Soviet Union (1994-96), Deputy Director of the Bosnian Task Force (1996), and Political Adviser to the Chief of Naval Operations (1999-2000).

Ambassador Johnson received his BA (cum laude) from the University of Washington and also attended the University of Puget Sound, the University of Minnesota and Princeton University. He was selected for the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and for the honor societies for military science, music and literature. In addition to Thai, he speaks Chinese (Mandarin), Russian, Polish, and some Lithuanian.

Source: U.S. Embassy Bangkok