No lasting peace in Myanmar without resolving Rohingya crisis: Touhid  

The Rohingya issue must be resolved for Myanmar to have long-term peace and stability, according to Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain today.

According to a news release from the foreign ministry here, he made the comments during a bilateral meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa in Bangkok.

The two foreign ministers met while attending the Thai Foreign Minister’s Informal Consultation on Myanmar, which was attended by high-ranking officials from Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand.

Touhid restated his need for a thorough plan for the Rohingya’s voluntary, secure, and respectable return to Myanmar.

He underscored the importance of restoring peace and security in Rakhine State where the situation is getting increasingly precarious for the Rohingya based there.

Touhid suggested that ASEAN Member States develop a viable mechanism to ensure safety and security for the Rohingya in Rakhine State upon their eventual repatriation.

He also called for enlisting the support of other friendly countries to help provide employment and livelihood support for the Rohingya for their sustainable return.

“The Rohingya crisis is already having a serious impact on regional security and will get aggravated further if allowed to fester for too long,” Touhid said.
  
He brought attention to the recent appointment of the chief adviser on Rohingya matters by the High Representative of Bangladesh, highlighting the importance of crisis resolution to the interim administration.

Thanking the Bangladesh Adviser for attending the informal consultation, the Thai Foreign Minister conveyed his satisfaction with the fruitful discussions.

Both leaders agreed that it was beneficial to have these casual discussions in order to exchange opinions and ideas in an open and friendly way.

They also talked about how Bangladesh and Thailand may improve their connectivity and trade.

The minister and the foreign adviser concurred that in order to close the remaining gap and enable smooth communication between South and Southeast Asia, Myanmar must maintain long-term peace and stability.

The Thai Foreign Minister sought Bangladesh’s support in operationalizing the coastal shipping arrangement between Ranong and Chattogram Ports, as desired by business communities on both sides.
Maris also expressed interest in working together with Bangladesh in the fisheries sector. 
He reiterated Thailand’s readiness to contribute to food security in the BIMSTEC region. 

The Bangladesh Adviser conveyed support for Thailand’s decision to host the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit in the second quarter next year.

Using data from the Bangladesh Bank, adviser Touhid noted the rise in the amount of money spent by Bangladeshi citizens in Thailand in recent months.
He asked Thailand to look into ways to make the visa application process for Bangladeshis even easier.
They pointed out that on December 19, 2024, official passport holders were exempt from the visa requirement.

They also recognized Thailand’s plan to allow Bangladeshis to apply for e-visas starting in January 2025.

At a separate event, Adviser Touhid today handed over a consignment of winter clothes and dry food from Bangladeshi manufacturers to Ambassador Tej Bunnag, Secretary General of the Thai Red Cross Society. 

Ambassador Bunnag thanked the Bangladesh Adviser for the donations and assured of sharing the items with those in need in the recently flood-affected northern parts of Thailand.

The two of them exchanged views on sharing experience and expertise between the Red Cross/ Red Crescent Societies, including on governance.
 
They also discussed some relevant regional issues, including the Rohingya humanitarian situation.

Secretary General Bunnag thanked the Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok for organizing a blood donation event this month to mark the Victory Day-2024.

During his three-day visit to Bangkok, The foreign affairs adviser also met and interacted with a section of the Bangladesh expatriate community to observe the International Migrants Day and National Expatriates Day-2024.

He rounded off this trip with a visit to the Embassy in Bangkok and discussed a range of issues including consular and welfare matters involving Bangladesh nationals in Thailand and Cambodia.