Thais stick to Asean rules on Rohingya

Thailand has handled the Rohingya issue in compliance with Asean’s noninterference policy, deputy government spokesman Werachon Sukondhapatipak said yesterday.

He made the remarks after Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi called on the international community to take part in efforts to solve the crisis.

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

Lt Gen Werachon said the matter is an internal issue and Asean has followed a non-interference policy.

However, since the Rohingya issue has received global attention, Asean member countries may have to discuss how to deal with the matter, Lt Gen Werachon said.

All countries share the view that the Rohingya problem must be addressed and many countries have given priority to humanitarian assistance and safety for the Rohingya, the deputy government spokesman said, adding that Asean also has a framework for talks on the Rohingya issue.

The Foreign Ministry’s Department of Asean Affairs has held talks on the matter, Lt Gen Werachon said.

Communal violence has torn through Rakhine state since Rohingya militants staged deadly attacks on police posts on Aug 25. Hundreds have been killed and hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled Myanmar into Bangladesh.

Ms Suu Kyi has been criticised by the international community for failing to speak up for the stateless Rohingya.