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Press conference on Myanmar delegations attendance to ILO Conference and Thai Prime Minister's official visit to Myanmar |
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Yangon, 27 June-A press conference on matters relating to Myanmar delegation that attended the 89th annual conference of International Labour Organization held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 to 21 June and Prime Minister of Thailand Dr Thaksin Shinawatra's official goodwill visit to Myanmar from 19 to 20 June was held at the Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road this afternoon.
Present were Minister at the Prime Minister's Office U Tin Winn, Deputy Chief of Office of Strategic Studies and Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Khin Maung Win, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, heads of department of the Office of Strategic Studies, officials of the Ministry of Information, Patron of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club U Sein Win, President of MFCC U Sao Kai Hpa, correspondents and officials.
The leader of Myanmar delegation that attended the 89th annual conference of International Labour Organization Minister at the Prime Minister's Office U Tin Winn said at the conference a meeting on Application of Standard of Myanmar was held on 13 June. Before the meeting Myanmar delegation met the director-general of ILO and the chairman of Governing Body separately. They said they understood the development of the agreement to send Objective Assessment Team for cooperation in labour affairs with ILO. They said they would support the issue regarding Myanmar and submit it to the conference and provide help for success. In meeting with the Chairman of the conference Minister of Labour of the Philippines, he said he would discuss the matter based on the joint communique of ASEAN Labour Ministers released after the meeting of ASEAN Labour Ministers held in May.
On 13 June, the delegates discussed the Application of Standard of Myanmar. The US delegate said the agreement between the government of Myanmar was a step towards the right direction. The ILO should provide assistance to eliminate the practice of forced labour but not punish Myanmar. Similarly, on behalf of Asia and the Pacific countries, the delegate of Australia, standing on Myanmar side, welcomed the agreement to send a high-level team to observe developments in Myanmar in his discussions on the announcement by Asia and Pacific countries. Myanmar's standards on labour affairs are to be decided based on the findings of the team at the Governing Body meeting to be held in November. Meanwhile, all are to wait and see the situation.
Minister U Tin Winn said the discussions regarding Myanmar at the ILO conference were constructive and they led to the positive trend. The ILO will decide the correct measures on Myanmar's labour affairs in November depending on the findings of the high-level team that will arrive in Myanmar in September. Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Win explained the goodwill visit of Thai delegation led by Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra. It was regarded as an official visit according to the coordination between the two countries. The Thai Prime Minister was accorded a 19-gun salute and was warmly welcomed.
The visit was the first of its kind for the Thai Prime Minister in four years and it was a significant one between the two countries. Some border incidents occurred beginning February 2001 and relations between the two countries was not in normal position. Border issues often occur in all countries. Myanmar approached the issues with the concept of letting the wet hands not to get dried and making big issues become smaller and small issues to be completely resolved. Myanmar and Thailand share over 1,300 miles of the border, have same culture and customs and are Theravada Buddhist countries. They are also members of ASEAN and BIMST-EC. Both countries would like to maintain goodwill relations and accept that only normal relations between the peoples of the two countries will serve the interests of the two countries.
Therefore, the visit of the Thai Prime Minister was accepted as an official visit. The 51-member delegation led by the Thai Prime Minister arrived in Myanmar on an official visit from 19 to 20 June. The Prime Minister met Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt at the State House on 19 June and they widely discussed common interests between the two countries in the spirit of goodwill and understanding. On 20 June, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar received the Thai Prime Minister at the Pyithu Hluttaw building and they discussed normalization of bilateral relations and promotion of economic, social and cultural cooperation in a cordial atmosphere. Moreover, the Governments of the Union of Myanmar and Thailand signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotrophic Substances and Precursor Chemical Controls and issued a joint communique.
As an immediate outcome of the Thai Prime Minister's official visit Minister for Foreign Affairs U Win Aung left for Thailand in 48 hours on a goodwill visit at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. During his stay in Thailand, Minister U Win Aung met Thai Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Minister U Win Aung paid a courtesy call on the King of the Kingdom of Thailand. Such exchange of official visits is the result of the official visit of the Thai Prime Minister. Moreover, official opening of Tachilek-Maisai Bridge, a Thai-Myanmar border gateway on 24 June showed normalization of bilateral relations. Bilateral cooperation will be promoted, the deputy minister said. Minister U Tin Win and Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Win replied to the queries raised by local and foreign newsmen. The press conference ended at 1.50 pm. _________________________________________________________________ |
On
behalf of ASEAN countries, the delegate from Malaysia discussed the joint
communique. He welcomed ILO's constructive approach on Myanmar. Findings
of the high-level team will be discussed in November and action taken on
Myanmar should be lifted. The leader of the British Trade Unions also
welcomed the US delegate's remarks that it was a step in the right
direction. The arrival of the high-level team will be in the rainy season.
He expressed his concern over the findings to complete within three weeks.
