PM hails Suu Kyi’s transfer
Ex-Myanmar leader now in ‘house arrest’
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday welcomed media reports which said former Myanmar state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and former president Win Myint have been moved from prison to house arrest.
On his X account, Mr Srettha wrote: “[I] welcome reports that former Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint have been moved from prison to their homes. Look forward to further positive steps soon.”
The post came on the heels of news reports which said Suu Kyi, 78, and Win Myint, 72, were among the prisoners moved to house arrest because of the severe heat that has been reported in the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw.
Their transfer coincided with the military government’s decision to grant an amnesty to over 3,000 prisoners to mark the traditional New Year festival.
Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara called the move a “positive step” towards responding to the concerns of the international community.
“The Thai government calls for further positive steps in this direction leading to their immediate full release to advance the implementation of the Asean Five-point consensus,” he said yesterday.
The 78-year-old Nobel laureate is serving a 27-year sentence for a host of criminal convictions ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 rules, according to a report by the Japan Times.
She has largely been hidden from view since the military detained her as they seized power in a 2021 coup, and she has suffered health problems, the report said.
Meanwhile, the House committee on foreign affairs yesterday urged the Thai government and Asean to ramp up the provision of humanitarian aid to those displaced by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
The committee emphasised the need for more aid to support affected communities and to mitigate the impact of the crisis across the border.
It urged the government to allow non-governmental organisations and local civil networks to take part in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
According to the committee, Thailand’s migrant worker policy should also be reviewed to better respond to the situation in Myanmar due to the potential influx of refugees fleeing into Thailand.
“The Thai government should step up its role in advocating for peace in Myanmar and work through the ‘Troika Plus’ mechanism to help bring about sustainable peace in the neighbouring country,” said the committee.
Anekchai Rueangrattanakorn, adjunct political science lecturer at Silpakorn University, told the Bangkok Post that Thailand should closely monitor the Myanmar crisis as both countries share over 2,400-kilometre border, and it is still unclear whether peace in Myanmar will be restored.
“[Myanmar junta leader] Min Aung Hlaing could remain [in power] to protect a certain number of important cities to reaffirm his status quo,” Mr Anekchai said.
He proposed that state agencies prepare plans for the possibility of battles being waged along the Thai border and be prepared for the influx of Burmese refugees.
Temporary shelters should be set up to help people who escape from the war zone, he said.
Meanwhile, the Thai government should not be selective regarding humanitarian aid, and it has to make sure that aid is provided inclusively, he said.
He said a committee formed to deal with Myanmar issues should help set the Myanmar crisis as a national agenda item, and bring together security agencies and the Foreign Affairs Ministry to produce a constructive and unified outcome.
He said Thailand should support the Asean chair this year in the work to solve the Myanmar crisis.
“If Thailand is the mediator in this crisis and could succeed in doing so, it will not only help reduce the [negative] effect on Thailand, but also strengthen the country’s strategic importance in the international community,” Mr Anekchai said.