Suu Kyi revives her father’s appeal for Thai-Myanmar ties

So said General Aung San on April 17, 1947 to a Thai delegation headed by Phraya Anuman Rajadhon in Rangoon (now Yangon). At the time, Burma and Siam – as both countries were called – did not have diplomatic relations. However, their religious delegates and scholars were in frequent contact.
Throughout her three-day trip to the Kingdom last week, Aung San Suu Kyi echoed her father’s vision of Thai-Myanmar relations, pronounced nearly seven decades ago. During her stopover in Mahachai, a special lecture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral discussions at Government House as well as press briefings, she was at ease – smiling and talking about the current state of bilateral ties of a kind never before seen. A birthday cake for her, albeit five-days late, during a lunch hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought a surprised big smile.
In her special lecture, the State Counsellor added more wisdom and talked passionately about the role of youth in bringing a more peaceful, rule-based and prosperous society in future. She also discussed what Myanmar and Thailand could do together.
Within the Asean context, it was an unprecedented occasion to have her deliver a rousing speech to local and Myanmar students. Normally, visiting dignitaries from Asean at the highest level talk to the business community, not young people. Indeed, this could spark off a new trend in Asean. US President Barack Obama enjoyed meeting and talking to young Asean students during his visits to the region.
At the joint press briefing, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha described Myanmar as a “natural partnership” or “hun-suan thammachart” to denote the deeply intertwined 700-year-old friendship with mutual interests in all areas. He even went further, emphasising that Myanmar’s security and prosperity is Thailand’s security and prosperity.
Obviously, lots of attention was given to migrant workers and their plight. In recent years, stories about their hardships and exploitation have dominated international headlines, tarnishing the country’s image. Worse still, foreign governments have taken Thailand to task for failure to address the issue and threatening the country with sanctions.
But the situation of migrant workers has changed in the past two years due to the so-called “zero tolerance” approach adopted by the current government to counter human trafficking and slave labour. Corrupt officials and influential groups taking advantage of migrant workers have been arrested. Archaic laws were amended and new laws enacted to better protect migrant workers rights. But these efforts are still considered a work in progress.
On the last day of her visit, a group of senior officials from Samut Sakhon province – where human rights abuses relating to migrant workers from Myanmar often occur, were suddenly transferred, amid the threat of disciplinary probes and legal action into alleged abuses. They included the provincial governor Manrat Ratasukhon, as well as public prosecutors and police. Meanwhile, over the past year, nearly 100 culprits have been prosecuted.
In more ways than one, Suu Kyi’s visit to Mahachai was significant in improving the country’s sagging image over human rights and labour abuses, which are noted in the annual US Trafficking in Persons report, as well as illegal fishing. On June 30, the US State Department will review the Thai situation and decide whether to upgrade Thailand from the current dreadful ranking, Tier 3. Suu Kyi’s site visit and responses from migrant workers showed huge improvement in their situations.
She thanked the Thai government for taking care of migrant workers and urged them to behave themselves. “Myanmar workers in Thailand are guests of their host country, where you should love, be honest and behave well toward the hosts,” she said. It was a far cry from her first visit here four years ago when she was in opposition, telling them to fight for their rights.
Obviously, Suu Kyi would like to see more and continuous improvement in the welfare of these workers while they are still in Thailand, especially in upgrading their skills and overall capacity building. Unofficially, about 4 to 5 million migrant workers, plus displaced people, are living in Thailand. For the past two years, 1.5 million workers have been registered, allowing them to work and receive social benefits, including education and healthcare. More registrations are expected in coming months.
All three memoranda of understanding and agreements signed last week dealt exclusively with better management, facilitation and capacity-building for Myanmar workers. In other words, they are now under the protection of Thai labour laws. In the future, labour contracts will be made through the government-to-government partnership, akin to last year’s agreement with Cambodia.
During the bilateral discussion, Suu Kyi time and again, reflected on her father’s views of Myanmar-Thailand relations. Her father said in the 1947 speech quoted above, that both countries share many things in common, especially belief and traditions. Most importantly, General Aung San said: “We have to learn to respect one another and to admire each other’s prowess.”
Suu Kyi emphasised that while being close neighbours and sharing a long border, there were both good and bad times for Thailand and Myanmar. She said that given the Buddhist teaching of a state of “impermanence”, both sides should make the best of their relations. Prayut quickly responded and pledged that Thailand would do everything it could to provide assistance to Myanmar’s overall development – including the repatriation of displaced people along the Thai-Myanmar border. Currently, Myanmar, Thailand and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are working together for such a plan.
Finally, Thailand expressed full support for the current peace process in Myanmar, saying it is ready to provide any assistance requested by Nay Pyi Taw. For the past four decades, the armed ethnic groups straddling the border have caused unease and distrust in the western neighbour. Now the longstanding suspicion had been put to rest thanks to the ongoing peace process and Thailand’s collaboration.
Gone were the days of a marriage-of-convenience approach. To further firm up the bilateral ties hot on the heels of Suu Kyi’s visit, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is visiting Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday and Thursday. He is scheduled to meet President Htin Kyaw and General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s Army Chief, to discuss common security, as well as anti-drug smuggling cooperation.
For the first time in over half a century, both countries can genuinely begin normal and functional relations, which will become more stable and predictable. In the long term, their newfound confidence and trust will impact on the geopolitics and geo-economic landscape of mainland Southeast Asia.