UN envoy urges PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help stop Myanmar crisis

As the Thai government promised to protect Myanmar refugees who fled into Thailand, a UN ambassador has urged PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help prevent the worsening crisis in Myanmar, following the in-person meeting at the Government House in Bangkok this week.

The UN Secretary-Special General’s Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, has visited Thailand after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) backlash over Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar and postponed its ministers’ meeting for the week.

Heyzer is soliciting foreign backing for aid to displaced people and pressuring Myanmar’s military leadership to stick to a five-point peace consensus agreed with ASEAN members last April.

She wrote in a statement this week…

“The prime minister has an important role in preventing further deterioration of the crisis in Myanmar, where an implosion would bring further instability to an already volatile border area.”

Since then, thousands of Myanmar citizens have fled into Thailand as violence near the border erupted two months ago, with official figures showing more than 1,300 people remain in a Thai refugee camp while 50,000 have been displaced due to the recent military offensive in the country in which the military called necessary ops to fight terrorists, referring to local militia groups that emerged across the post-coup nation as a result of a deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters.

According to PM Prayut, Myanmar’s difficulties are complicated and the situation should be addressed gradually with understanding and through building confidence with Myanmar’s leader. He told the UN envoy that Thailand has a humanitarian area and refugees were only returned on a voluntary basis, although several international organisations reported to Reuters news agency that entries have been denied to enter these zones.

According to Aljazeera, a government spokesperson, Ratchada Thanadirek, declined to comment on the matter but said Thailand provided help in accordance with international humanitarian norms.

SOURCE: Aljazeera