Gaston J. Sigur Jr.

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Gaston J. Sigur Jr.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
In office
March 12, 1986 – February 21, 1989
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byPaul Wolfowitz
Succeeded byRichard H. Solomon
Personal details
Born
Gaston Joseph Sigur Jr.

(1924-11-13)November 13, 1924
Franklin, Louisiana
DiedApril 26, 1995(1995-04-26) (aged 70)
Bethesda, Maryland
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEstelle Sigur
ChildrenChristopher Sigur
Gaston J. Sigur, III
Paul Sigur
Katherine Dayton
Thomas Sigur
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
United States Army Air Forces
Years of service1943–46

Gaston Joseph Sigur Jr. (pronounced Seeg-YOOR; November 13, 1924 – April 26, 1995) [1] was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 1986 to 1989.

Early years[edit]

Sigur was born in Franklin, Louisiana on November 13, 1924. His post-secondary education began at Louisiana State University at the age of 16 in 1941. In 1943, he joined the United States Army and was pulled from regular duty after basic training to study Japanese at the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and at Fort Snelling where he was commissioned. At that time the war was over and Sigur was sent to Japan where he served as an Army Air Force intelligence officer for Tachikawa Air Base during the Occupation of Japan until 1946 when he was discharged.

Back in the United States, Sigur returned to the University of Michigan where he earned the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in History, concentrating in Far Eastern history. He met Estelle Smotrys, a nursing student, while pursuing his doctorate and the two were married prior to him completing his studies.

After graduating he worked with The Asia Foundation from 1956 to 1959 and as a research scholar at Sophia University in Tokyo from 1959 to 1961. In 1962, Sigur moved his family to Afghanistan where he served as The Asia Foundation representative to Afghanistan until 1966; after which he continued his work for The Asia Foundation in Japan and San Francisco. In 1972, he became professor of international affairs and director of the Institute of Sino-Soviet Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Reagan administration[edit]

Sigur was appointed to the United States National Security Council in 1982 as senior director of Asian affairs, and in 1983 he became Special Assistant to the President for Asian affairs. In 1986, at the urging of United States Secretary of State George P. Shultz, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sigur as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. After Senate confirmation, Sigur held this office from March 12, 1986 until February 21, 1989.

A key foreign policy goal of the Reagan Administration was the promotion of democracy abroad.[2] In accordance with this goal, Sigur pushed for more openness and a transition to democracy in Asia-Pacific nations throughout his tenure as Assistant Secretary of State. In applying this mandate he brought a cautious approach to diplomacy, which was based on his extensive knowledge of the cultural sensitivities and history of the East. This approach, colleagues have noted,[3] allowed him to argue his points with foreign diplomats without offending them; which made him an influential and effective negotiator. However, others have criticized him for not taking a more bold and innovative stance towards foreign governments.[3]

Sigur (left) in the Oval Office briefing President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George H. W. Bush, and Secretary of State George Shultz on the South Korean crisis in June 1987.

South Korea[edit]

In 1987, the authoritarian government of South Korea was facing a constitutional crisis which Sigur helped nudge towards democracy. He delivered a speech in February 1987 expressing American support for a transition to democracy under a "new political framework," urging South Korea to "civilianize" its military-controlled government. This speech was made without the approval of Secretary of State Shultz, who at first distanced himself from the strong language and progressive policy laid out by Sigur, but soon after adopted it as Washington's official policy towards Seoul.[4]

As President Reagan’s envoy to Seoul in the midst of the June Democracy Movement,[5] Sigur applied key diplomatic pressure on the South Korean government to keep it from instituting martial law or a military coup,[6] eventually leading to open elections and a transition to democracy.


Other efforts with the Reagan administration[edit]

During his time in office, Sigur sought trade concessions from Japan which included improved access to and openness in the Japanese market,[7] a correction of the yen-dollar exchange rate, and other economic issues.[8] He was heavily involved in U.S. diplomatic work with the government of the Philippines in their transition to democracy[9] and subsequent struggles with communist rebel groups.[10] He was also involved in talks with the Soviet Union concerning the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia[11] and he worked to continue the liberalizing trend in Taiwan.

While promoting political openness and democracy in Asian nations throughout his career with the Reagan Administration, Sigur also sought to promote and encourage economic growth and open markets in the region. While conceding that the manufactured goods produced by cheap labor and the raw material exports of the region would pose serious competition to American companies, he argued that if economic growth is accompanied by openness in East Asian markets, it would contribute to regional political stability and ultimately to U.S. security.[8]

Iran–Contra affair[edit]

Sigur was questioned extensively by joint Congressional committees (Congressional Committees Investigating The Iran-Contra Affair) for his knowledge relating to the Iran-Contra affair. Members of Congress examined his interactions with Colonel Oliver North and other individuals who were named as being interested in providing financial assistance to the Nicaraguan contras. Although Sigur did engage his contacts[12] (e.g. Taiwan[13]) as requested by other Reagan Administration officials, he was not aware of any illicit activities between the United States government and the contras, nor did he comply with the illegal transfer of money to the contras.[14]

Later life[edit]

At the close of the Reagan presidency, Sigur returned to George Washington University in 1989 as Distinguished Professor of East Asian studies. He advised President George H. W. Bush on Asian affairs, accompanying the president on his trip to China. As a political conservative and highly respected authority on East Asia and the Pacific, he continued to serve the Republican White House as a part-time adviser throughout Bush’s presidency.

In 1991, in recognition for his profound impact and mark on American international policy towards East Asia, the Gaston Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University was named in his honor.[15] Sigur served as senior consultant of the Center until his death.

On April 26, 1995 Sigur died of cardiac arrest at his home in Bethesda, Maryland.

Government offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
March 12, 1986 – February 21, 1989 		Succeeded by

References[edit]

  1. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (April 29, 1995). "Gaston J. Sigur Jr., 70, Adviser To Reagan on Japan and Korea". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "June 8, 1982 address by President Reagan to the British Parliament".
  3. ^ a b Engelberg, Stephen (June 24, 1987). "Man in the News: Gaston Joseph Sigur Jr". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Oberdorfer, Don (2001). The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. Basic Books. p. 166. ISBN 0-465-05162-6.
  5. ^ Katsiaficas, George (2012). Asia's Unknown Uprisings Volume 1: South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century. PM Press. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-60486-457-1.
  6. ^ Kondracke, Morton (June 22, 1987). "Seoul Searching". The New Republic.
  7. ^ "Panels Approve Measures On Japan Trade Imbalance". Sun Sentinel. April 3, 1985.
  8. ^ a b "Vitality and possibility on the Pacific rim – Gaston J. Sigur Jr.'s address before a conference sponsored by Meridian House International for business executives on Dec. 3, 1986".
  9. ^ Lilley, J. (2004). China Hands: Nine Decades of Adventure, Espionage, and Diplomacy in Asia. PublicAffairs. pp. 269. ISBN 1-58648-136-3.
  10. ^ "The situation in the Philippines - Gaston J. Sigur Jr.'s statement before the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 8, 1987".
  11. ^ "Gaston J. Sigur; Assistant Secretary of State Under Reagan". The Los Angeles Times. May 10, 1995.
  12. ^ "Gaston Sigur due to testify next". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. May 14, 1987.
  13. ^ McManus, Doyle (May 13, 1987). "The Iran-Contra Hearings: NSC Aide Requested Donation, Sources Say: Taiwan Gave $2 Million to Contras". The Los Angeles Times.
  14. ^ Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair, Appendix B, Volume 25 - Depositions. 1987.
  15. ^ "About Us". The Sigur Center for Asian Studies. The George Washington University.

Further reading[edit]

[1] Kennedy, Charles. "Interview with Gaston J. Sigur Jr., April 24, 1990". The Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. The Library of Congress.

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