Bangkok, July 07: Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who also chairs the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has reiterated that it would be useless for the international community to boycott Myanmar despite the country’s military junta refusing to release Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Vejjajiva said this during a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who made a brief stopover at the Thai capital’s Suvarnabhumi Airport late Saturday after ending a two-day visit in Myanmar, where he attempted to persuade that country’s top leader, Senior General Than Shwe, to release Suu Kyi.
During talks with the UN chief, Vejjajiva said Thailand as the chairman of ASEAN found there was no use for the international community to boycott Myanmar products or to otherwise isolate Myanmar.
Ban reportedly briefed the Thai Premier on his talks with Myanmar’s military ruler General Than Shwe, during which his request to meet detained Suu Kyi was rejected.
Thailand and Myanmar along with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam compromises the ASEAN.
—Agencies