'New chapter for Asean'

Thai PM says meeting will be opportunity to show grouping's relevance to rest of the world
By Nirmal Ghosh, Thailand Correspondent

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva pledged that this month's Asean summit, scheduled to be held in Hua Hin from Feb 27 to March 1, would mark a 'new chapter' for the region. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK - THAI Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva pledged that this month's Asean summit, scheduled to be held in Hua Hin from Feb 27 to March 1, would mark a 'new chapter' for the region.
He said leaders at the upcoming summit would work towards a 'credible and realistic' human rights body, move towards a more rule-based and effective community of nations, and enhance the group's resilience to shocks like the global recession, food security and natural disasters.

'This is an opportunity to show the rest of the world that Asean is still relevant,' said Mr Abhisit, who has been wooing the international community in a bid to restore Thailand's credibility.



The Premier has been frequently addressing large business audiences in Bangkok. Over the past 10 days, he has also travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos and Japan - a key investor - where his message to concerned Japanese corporations, many of whom are major exporters out of Thailand, was that the country is back on track and stable.

At a reception yesterday in Government House for the media and Asean diplomats, Mr Abhisit, flanked by Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, cited Thailand's past contributions to Asean, and said Thailand remained committed to the group.

Thailand also remained 'the land of freedom, the land of smiles, the land of opportunity', he said.

Speaking after him, Mr Kasit said Asean was in the process of transforming it from a loose association to an integrated community. Inputs from parallel meetings of civil society would be welcome.

'We will work together with civil society so that within five to six years, Asean will be a community second to none, and a voice to reckon with and be respected in the international arena.'

Mr Kasit also said the controversial issue of Myanmar's Rohingya people would be discussed on the sidelines of the summit.

'We need cooperation from all Asean member countries to solve this problem.'

Furthermore, he said, a regional meeting involving Thailand, Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would be held soon to find a solution to the issue, probably first in Bangladesh and then in Geneva.

'I even discussed the matter with the UNHCR Commissioner in Geneva last month. The ministry's permanent secretary has already met ambassadors from Myanmar, India, Indonesia and Malaysia to look into the matter,' he said.

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar's Rakhine state who are refused citizenship in Myanmar and are also the target of severe discrimination by the ethnocentric military junta, have in recent weeks turned up in Thailand and Indonesia after arduous life-threatening journeys on rickety boats.

Thai security forces have been accused of pushing the Rohingya back out to sea and leaving them adrift. Hundreds of Rohingya are said to have died, while others were rescued in a state of severe dehydration and near death by the Indian coast guard and Indonesian authorities.

Thailand reiterated that it is not ready to offer refugee status to the Rohingya people but is willing to deport them to a third country if there is a request.

Mr Abhisit said Thailand was worried that more flow of Rohingya would occur if those detained in Ranong were given refugee status.

'The Rohingya people who came by boat are not refugees, but economic migrants. As such, we are not ready to take them in, but other countries can take them if they are ready.'

nirmal@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting from Bernama