Thailand hopes for long-term Rohingya solutions at May 29 meeting

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) - Thailand wishes to see long-term solutions to irregular migration in the Indian Ocean concerning Rohingya people at a meeting to be hosted by the Kingdom on May 29 and attended by representatives of about 19 countries and relevant international organizations. Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told Thai News Agency (TNA) in a special interview on Tuesday although it is a one-day meeting, information, facts and possible solutions have been adequately prepared for all concerned parties to discuss. Don said invited countries include countries of origin, destinations and transit, pointing out that the country of origin, referring to Myanmar, needs support for development projects to allow ethnic Rohingya Muslims to have sufficiency in their life. Besides, authorities need to patrol the sea to block their migration. Don said he expects conclusions from the May 29 meeting should be further developed for a ministerial meeting on Bali Island in Indonesia in August. The deputy foreign minister insisted that Thailand has never pushed migrants away to death but accommodated them at onshore facilities, noting that human rights-related pressures for Thailand to take care of Rohingya people came from distant countries and the accommodation for the Rohingya migrants would never become a permanent facility. According to the Thai deputy foreign minister, Rohingya-related issues concern the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in which Myanmar, the country of origin, is a member country. The Thai deputy foreign minister revealed that he will meet his Myanmar counterpart on May 20 and he will convince Myanmar to realize the importance of the May 29 meeting, acknowledging that without Myanmar's participation, the upcoming meeting will be useless because Rohingya-related problems will not be solved in the country of origin. (TNA)