Thailand not to boycott Myanmar

BANGKOK, 19 July 2009 (NNT) – Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thailand had a clear stance towards the human rights issue in Myanmar, affirming that Thailand would never support a boycott of the neighboring nation.

Prime Minister Abhisit stated during his weekly television program ‘Confidence in Thailand with Prime Minister Abhisit’ that the human rights controversy within Myanmar would be raised at the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Defense Officials’ Dialogue hosted in the southern province of Phuket. He pointed out that Myanmar should use this opportunity to clear up any suspicions on the issue.

The Prime Minister declared that Thailand had never intervened in any internal affairs of Myanmar. However, he hoped that the neighboring country would take the world community’s call regarding human rights into consideration, citing that the matter was also stipulated within the ASEAN Charter.

Prime Minister Abhisit confirmed that Thailand would not support an isolation of Myanmar and would oppose anyone raising such policy against the nation. He reasoned that the sanction would neither yield benefits nor solve the problem.