Thailand helps Myanmar campaign for sanction lifted
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Washington DC - Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Tuesday that he would help Myanmar to convince US to lift all sanction against the country when he met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here.
The regime in Nay Pyi Taw has proved that it fully committed reform toward democracy and national reconciliation, said Surapong who visited Myanmar on June 8, before his trip to the 4th Thai-US Strategic Dialogue this week.
His Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin has asked him to help convey message of political development in Myanmar to Washington, he said.
“Thailand, as a friend of Myanmar, needs to do what we can to have the US sanction lifted,” Surapong told reporters.
“The US might feel we are too optimistic on the development in Myanmar but I think everything is clear that the country is moving toward democracy.”
The US has relaxed some sanctions on Myanmar recently but remained a lot of tough measures which blocked economic activities including trade and investment from the US and its allies to the country.
Surapong was scheduled to meet on Wednesday US State Secretary Clinton and key senators who were keen on Myanmar and Asian affairs including Jim Webb from the Democrat and James Inhofe from the Republican.
He would also discuss with them on the issue of refugees whom Thailand has sheltered at the border for long time and Bangkok has a clear policy to repatriate them to the place of origin whenever they can return home safely.
He would ask investors in the US-Asean Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce to consider investment in Dawei project which would materialize the connectivity between Myanmar and other South Asian Nations.
International community should help support Myanmar’s effort to reform the country, he said.
Thailand has invited reformer President Thein Sein to visit Bangkok in the third week of July to discuss wide rank of bilateral relations including the cooperation on Dawei project.
“We will show him our Eastern Sea Board that would link with the western sea board in the future when the Dawei project was completed,” he said.
Thein Sein delayed his previous plan to visit Thailand during the World Economic Forum May 30- June 1 when pro-democracy leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was also in the forum.
Surapong said the delay was due to some internal affairs, not because of high profile visit of Aung San Suu Kyi.
A part from Myanmar issue, Surapong said he would discuss with US officials on various issue of cooperation including counter terrorist, anti-narcotic cooperation, refugee and humanitarian assistance but he would not raise the issue of Utapao to the discussion.
There are a lot of mixed up stories on Utapao and local politicians at home too much politicize it, he said. The NASA project to use Utapoa airbase for weather monitoring operation was not related with the idea of the US Navy to use the facilities at airbase for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.
The NASA just simply asked permission to use the airport for its weather monitoring aircraft for short period in August and September. The project would be jointly conducted with Thai Science, Technology and Environment Ministry. The action was similar to what NASA did in Hong Kong recently, he said.
Surapong said he has submitted the NASA request to the cabinet for approval and remained no idea when the cabinet would consider it.
Meanwhile the US Navy idea to use Utapao for humanitarian purpose is still far from conclusion, he said. “We are still exploring possibility and we might ask many countries including China to join the project,” he said.
His Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin has asked him to help convey message of political development in Myanmar to Washington, he said.
“Thailand, as a friend of Myanmar, needs to do what we can to have the US sanction lifted,” Surapong told reporters.
“The US might feel we are too optimistic on the development in Myanmar but I think everything is clear that the country is moving toward democracy.”
The US has relaxed some sanctions on Myanmar recently but remained a lot of tough measures which blocked economic activities including trade and investment from the US and its allies to the country.
Surapong was scheduled to meet on Wednesday US State Secretary Clinton and key senators who were keen on Myanmar and Asian affairs including Jim Webb from the Democrat and James Inhofe from the Republican.
He would also discuss with them on the issue of refugees whom Thailand has sheltered at the border for long time and Bangkok has a clear policy to repatriate them to the place of origin whenever they can return home safely.
He would ask investors in the US-Asean Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce to consider investment in Dawei project which would materialize the connectivity between Myanmar and other South Asian Nations.
International community should help support Myanmar’s effort to reform the country, he said.
Thailand has invited reformer President Thein Sein to visit Bangkok in the third week of July to discuss wide rank of bilateral relations including the cooperation on Dawei project.
“We will show him our Eastern Sea Board that would link with the western sea board in the future when the Dawei project was completed,” he said.
Thein Sein delayed his previous plan to visit Thailand during the World Economic Forum May 30- June 1 when pro-democracy leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was also in the forum.
Surapong said the delay was due to some internal affairs, not because of high profile visit of Aung San Suu Kyi.
A part from Myanmar issue, Surapong said he would discuss with US officials on various issue of cooperation including counter terrorist, anti-narcotic cooperation, refugee and humanitarian assistance but he would not raise the issue of Utapao to the discussion.
There are a lot of mixed up stories on Utapao and local politicians at home too much politicize it, he said. The NASA project to use Utapoa airbase for weather monitoring operation was not related with the idea of the US Navy to use the facilities at airbase for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.
The NASA just simply asked permission to use the airport for its weather monitoring aircraft for short period in August and September. The project would be jointly conducted with Thai Science, Technology and Environment Ministry. The action was similar to what NASA did in Hong Kong recently, he said.
Surapong said he has submitted the NASA request to the cabinet for approval and remained no idea when the cabinet would consider it.
Meanwhile the US Navy idea to use Utapao for humanitarian purpose is still far from conclusion, he said. “We are still exploring possibility and we might ask many countries including China to join the project,” he said.
