Caretaker govt urged to comply with Asean consensus on Myanmar
The caretaker government should deal with Myanmar issues under the Asean agreement for resolving the crisis in the neighbouring country, Thai Sang Thai Party's spokeswoman Tidarat Yingcharoen said on Sunday.
She made this remark after caretaker Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai's invited Asean foreign ministers to an informal meeting to discuss the stalled peace plan in Myanmar on Sunday and Monday.
If Myanmar does not end the violence within its borders and follow Asean’s five-point roadmap, it is too early to hold discussions at the leadership or foreign minister level, she said.
The informal talks are considered to be a violation of the agreement made by Asean leaders at their summit in May.
Even though Thailand and Myanmar have a strong relationship, Thailand should respect Asean's agreement, which calls for an end to the violence, she said.
She noted that about 3,000 refugees from Myanmar recently arrived in Mae Hong Son's Mae Sariang district following an attack on ethnic Karen forces.
Thailand should provide humanitarian assistance to them and encourage Myanmar to adhere to Asean’s five-point consensus.
Tidarat said the next government should handle the crisis in Myanmar by providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, helping to negotiate peace in the region, and promoting Thailand's role in Asean.
Nantiwat Samart, secretary to Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, told Nation TV that the caretaker government can hold the informal meetings even while a Move Forward Party-led government is being established.
The unrest in Myanmar is an urgent issue because fighting along the Myanmar border has caused about 200 billion baht in damage to Thailand, Nantiwat said.
"The situation in Myanmar is not a conflict among people in the country because we have received clear information that a Westerner named Timothy and his team have trained forces that are fighting the Myanmar government," he said.
He said there was also a group of people claiming to be mercenaries involved in the fighting.
Nantiwat added that the Foreign Ministry had held informal talks twice to create "constructive engagement" with Myanmar.
Asean’s five-point consensus calls for:
1) The immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar.
2) Constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people.
3) Mediation to be facilitated by an envoy of Asean's chair, with the assistance of the secretary-general.
4) Humanitarian assistance provided by Asean's AHA Centre.
5) A visit by the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet all parties concerned.
