Myanmar tops Surapong's agenda

The regime in Nay Pyi Taw had shown that it was fully committed to reform toward democracy and national reconciliation, said Surapong, who visited Myanmar on Friday, before going to the 4th Thai-US Strategic Dialogue this week. His Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin had asked him to help convey a message about the political development in Myanmar to Washington, he said.
“Thailand, as a friend of Myanmar, needs to do what we can to get the US sanctions lifted,” Surapong said. “The US might feel we are too optimistic on the developments in Myanmar but I think everything is clear that the country is moving towards democracy.”
The US relaxed some sanctions on Myanmar recently but retains a lot of tough measures which block economic activities, including trade and investment from the US and its allies.
Surapong was scheduled to meet Clinton on Wednesday (last night Bangkok time), plus key senators who are interested in Myanmar and Asian affairs, including Jim Webb from the Democrats and the Republicans’ James Inhofe.
He will also discuss the situation regarding refugees that Thailand has sheltered on the border for a long time. Bangkok has a clear policy to repatriate them to the places of origin once they can return home safely.
He plans to ask groups on the US-Asean Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce to consider investing in the deep-sea port project at Dawei, which will boost links between Myanmar and South Asia.
The international community should help support Myanmar’s effort to reform itself, he said.
Thailand has invited President Thein Sein, the key reformer, to visit Bangkok in the third week of July to discuss a wide range of bilateral relations.
“We will show him our Eastern Seaboard, which will link with the western seaboard in the future, when the Dawei project is completed,” he said.
Thein Sein set back his previous plan to visit Thailand during the World Economic Forum at the end of May when pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi attended the forum.
Surapong said the delay was due to internal affairs, not because of the high profile visit by Suu Kyi.
Aside from Myanmar, Sura-pong said he would discuss various issues of cooperation, including counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics work, refugees and humanitarian assistance. But he would not raise the issue of U-Tapao.
There were a lot of mixed-up stories about use of the airbase as politicians at home had tried to politicise the issue too much. The Nasa project to use U-Tapao for a weather monitoring operation was not related to the idea for the US Navy to use facilities at the airbase for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.
Nasa simply sought permission to use the airport for weather-monitoring aircraft in August and September. The project would be jointly conducted with the Thai Science, Technology and Environment Ministry. The operation was similar to what Nasa did in Hong Kong recently, he said. Surapong said he had submitted Nasa’s request to the Cabinet for approval but had no idea when it would be considered.
Meanwhile, the US Navy’s idea to use U-Tapao for humanitarian purposes was far from being concluded, he said. “We are still exploring possibilities and might ask many countries including China to join the project,” he said.