World renowned personalities to attend ‘reconciliation’ forum in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Aug 18 (TNA) - Three world well-known personalities have accepted an invitation to attend the Thai government-sponsored reconciliation forum to be held in Bangkok early next month, aimed at ridding social divisiveness in the kingdom, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Sunday (Aug 18). The three are former British prime minister Tony Blair, ex-president of Finland Marti Ahtisaari and Priscilla Hayner, transitional justice expert based in Geneva, said Mr. Surapong. They will attend the forum entitled ‘Uniting for the Future: Learning from Each Other’s Experience’ which will be held at Bangkok’s Plaza Athenee Hotel on September 2. The event will be telecast live. Denying reports that the government has to pay about 20 million baht as fee for those global personalities in joining the forum, Mr. Surapong said what the government has to pay is for their travelling and lodging expenses. Eight other well-known personalities including former US Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, ex-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and 1984 Nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu could not attend the next month’s session due to their business engagements, he said, adding that he hoped they could make themselves available in future sessions. (TNA)