Derek Tonkin was a UK diplomat for 38 years, retiring as Ambassador to Thailand in 1990. His particular areas of interest were Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, with postings including to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as well as to Poland and East Germany. On retirement, he became chairman of two venture capital funds specialising in countries of the Mekong Region. Since 1990, he has been a regular visitor to Burma/Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. He has published numerous articles on political and economic affairs in these countries. His interest in Burma/Myanmar dates from his appointment in London as Burma Desk Officer at the Foreign Office in the early 1960s.