Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha promised a United Nations special envoy that he will not force back people fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, where the military ousted a democratically elected government in February.
UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener told the Prime Minister in a meeting in Bangkok that she hopes Thailand will help find ways to work with Myanmar’s military to ease the crisis, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
People across Myanmar have participated in massive protests against the military coup. A violent crackdown by the military has cost hundreds of lives.
The military is also battling ethnic guerrilla armies in border regions that are seeking greater autonomy from the central government and support the pro-democracy protesters.
Prayuth told Schraner Burgener that Thailand is closely monitoring the situation on the border with Myanmar and has prepared several areas to shelter refugees and provide medical treatment, the statement said.
Last month, several thousand villagers from Myanmar’s eastern state of Karen fled to Thailand following airstrikes by Myanmar military planes in territory held by the Karen ethnic minority.
Close to 50,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by fighting in Karen areas since the beginning of the year.
The escalation of violence and the junta’s failure to restore order has led to fears that Myanmar could become a failed state, impacting neighbouring Thailand and the whole region.
Prayuth told Schraner Burgener his government is ready to listen and exchange information about Myanmar, according to the statement. There was no immediate comment from the UN envoy.
Schraner Burgener says she plans to stay in the region to remain in close contact with the Association of South-East Asian Nations to support the implementation of a “five-point consensus” on the Myanmar crisis reached by its leaders at a special meeting in Jakarta on April 24.
It calls for the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation of the dialogue by an Asean special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through Asean channels and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties.
Myanmar’s Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing’s government has indicated it will consider the agreement only after re-establishing stability. — AP