Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Pramudwinai, has asserted the importance of ongoing regional peace talks with Myanmar, explaining that Thailand has suffered due to the disaster in the neighbouring nation and urgent action should be taken to support peacekeeping efforts.
In an unique interview with Bangkok Post, Don revealed that the meeting will proceed no matter some Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers not attending. High-level representatives from several nations, together with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, India, China, Brunei, and Vietnam, have confirmed their intention to participate.
During the interview, Don conceded the assembly was convened urgently in response to the escalating state of affairs in Myanmar. He added that while Thailand’s government presently holds a caretaker function, it needed to proceed with the assembly, which is already the third of its type.
The Foreign Affairs Minister emphasised the need of the Pattaya assembly, explaining that it has no connection to the government’s caretaker function and the dialogue will concentrate on Myanmar’s ongoing disaster. Don noted that Thailand shares a 2,400-kilometre border with Myanmar, making it highly affected by the crisis. Key called for a decision sooner rather than later to benefit both nations, stressing that the casual gathering serves to complement ASEAN’s official peace initiative often identified as the “five-point consensus.”
Minister Don additionally mentioned discontent from Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi, about Thailand’s role within the matter, though he clarified that Thai involvement was solely intended to assist ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the Myanmar disaster, reported Bangkok Post.
Thailand has invited Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Than Swe to the talks alongside other Asean overseas ministers, however some members have declined Thailand’s invitation, including Indonesia and Singapore. Guide is the current chair, and Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, has voiced considerations that it will be untimely to re-engage with the junta at a high level..