Thailand to be neutral, abide by UN resolutions on Syria

BANGKOK, August 30 (TNA) - Regarding the possibility of the United States to solely launch military strikes against Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons against civilians recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul says that Thailand, as a member country of the United Nations, will abide by UN decisions and will remain neutral and friendly to all countries. Surapong declared Thailand's position on Friday, insisting that Washington’s actions will not, thus, have any serious impact on Thailand and Thai people, as there are only a very small number of Thai nationals in Syria. Surapong said that the United States has not raised the issue with the UN Security Council (UNSC), as Washington may fear that other members of the UNSC will oppose it, and that he expects Germany to support Britain’s decision not to join US forces to strike Syria. According to the Thai deputy prime minister, Washington is expected to base its decisions on intelligence reports, as it did so against Afghanistan. The Thai deputy prime minister opined, however, that the use of chemical weapons is a criminal act against humanity. The deputy prime minister acknowledged that he has ordered staffs at Thai embassies and consulates in the Middle East to closely monitor the updated situation in Syria. (TNA)