Bangkok--May 26--MFA
Statement by His Excellency Mr. Noppadon Pattama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand at the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference, Yangon, 25 May 2008
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
We are gathered here today to do one thing -- to help the people of Myanmar who have been affected by Cyclone Nargis. This is the purpose of this ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference.
I appreciate the statement made this morning by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Myanmar pledging commitment to work with the international community.
As a friend and neighbour, Thailand will continue to work closely with Myanmar, through the ASEAN-led approach, to achieve concrete results. Our message is clear -- we stand by you and will support your ongoing efforts to meet the challenges of relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation.
We thank the Myanmar Government for the cooperation extended to the international community thus far. We hope such cooperation will continue to be enhanced. Here, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has identified ways in which the UN and the international community can help.
Let us maintain this momentum for closer cooperation amongst all parties to help the affected people of Myanmar.
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
The proof of ones intentions lies in ones actions. On this basis, I believe that Thailand has proven its sincere intentions.
As a responsible member of ASEAN and the United Nations, Thailand wishes to be a true friend in need to everyone. The tragedy of our friends is like our own tragedy.
We were therefore the first country to send relief supplies to Myanmar, within the first 72 hours.
We were the first country whose Prime Minister visited Myanmar to make an assessment of the situation.
We were the first to send medical teams to Myanmar.
We were the first to send donations.
To date, more than 12 million US dollars of assistance has been provided. The Thai Royal Family, the Royal Thai Government, the Thai military, members of the Thai private sector and the Thai people have all made contributions.
All this assistance is based on the following cardinal principle: we will focus our help in areas requested by the affected country.
Despite all that we have done, there is still more that Thailand and the international community can do.
To this end, Thailand pledges the following:
First, we have launched and will continue to operate the UN Staging Area at Don Mueang International Airport to transport humanitarian assistance from the international community to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
In cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP), an inaugural relief flight was launched from the Staging Area yesterday afternoon, witnessed by my Prime Minister, the UN Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretary-General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. It is available for use by the international community.
In the longer term, Thailand is prepared to offer its facilities that can serve as a Staging Area of a more permanent nature to help facilitate timely response to natural disasters in the region in the future.
Second, we have provided and will continue to provide items that were requested by the Myanmar Government during my Prime Minister’s visit last week.
These include water pumps, fibre glass boats, mechanical ploughs and corrugated iron roof. We are prepared, as an initial step, to provide some 200 mechanical ploughs.
Third, we are prepared to contribute to a reconstruction fund. Assistance would be targeted at road and bridge construction and repair, rebuilding of schools and temples and repair of infrastructure. We would be interested in how such a fund would be linked with the ASEAN Cooperation Fund for Disaster Assistance that has been established by the ASEAN Secretary-General.
Both the Prime Minister of Myanmar and the UN Secretary-General stressed this morning the importance of restoring rice production in affected areas in Myanmar. As the world’s largest rice exporter, Thailand is keen to offer our support for rice planting.
The reconstruction and rehabilitation process will need to be comprehensive. Its success will depend on effective needs assessment, accountability and the distribution of assistance to the people in need.
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
It is important that we pledge. But pledges can take time to fulfill. So it is even more important that we act.
Let us work together with Myanmar and through the ASEAN-UN Partnership. Let us help bring effective international assistance to those who have the most at stake at this Conference, namely, the affected people of Myanmar.
As incoming Chair of ASEAN as from July this year, we pledge to carry the task entrusted upon ASEAN, using the ASEAN Task Force chaired by the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Tripartite Core Group, to help these victims of Cyclone Nargis through, as well as in the relief and reconstruction phase.
Thank you.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-
Statement by His Excellency Mr. Noppadon Pattama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand at the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference, Yangon, 25 May 2008
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
We are gathered here today to do one thing -- to help the people of Myanmar who have been affected by Cyclone Nargis. This is the purpose of this ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference.
I appreciate the statement made this morning by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Myanmar pledging commitment to work with the international community.
As a friend and neighbour, Thailand will continue to work closely with Myanmar, through the ASEAN-led approach, to achieve concrete results. Our message is clear -- we stand by you and will support your ongoing efforts to meet the challenges of relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation.
We thank the Myanmar Government for the cooperation extended to the international community thus far. We hope such cooperation will continue to be enhanced. Here, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has identified ways in which the UN and the international community can help.
Let us maintain this momentum for closer cooperation amongst all parties to help the affected people of Myanmar.
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
The proof of ones intentions lies in ones actions. On this basis, I believe that Thailand has proven its sincere intentions.
As a responsible member of ASEAN and the United Nations, Thailand wishes to be a true friend in need to everyone. The tragedy of our friends is like our own tragedy.
We were therefore the first country to send relief supplies to Myanmar, within the first 72 hours.
We were the first country whose Prime Minister visited Myanmar to make an assessment of the situation.
We were the first to send medical teams to Myanmar.
We were the first to send donations.
To date, more than 12 million US dollars of assistance has been provided. The Thai Royal Family, the Royal Thai Government, the Thai military, members of the Thai private sector and the Thai people have all made contributions.
All this assistance is based on the following cardinal principle: we will focus our help in areas requested by the affected country.
Despite all that we have done, there is still more that Thailand and the international community can do.
To this end, Thailand pledges the following:
First, we have launched and will continue to operate the UN Staging Area at Don Mueang International Airport to transport humanitarian assistance from the international community to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
In cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP), an inaugural relief flight was launched from the Staging Area yesterday afternoon, witnessed by my Prime Minister, the UN Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretary-General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. It is available for use by the international community.
In the longer term, Thailand is prepared to offer its facilities that can serve as a Staging Area of a more permanent nature to help facilitate timely response to natural disasters in the region in the future.
Second, we have provided and will continue to provide items that were requested by the Myanmar Government during my Prime Minister’s visit last week.
These include water pumps, fibre glass boats, mechanical ploughs and corrugated iron roof. We are prepared, as an initial step, to provide some 200 mechanical ploughs.
Third, we are prepared to contribute to a reconstruction fund. Assistance would be targeted at road and bridge construction and repair, rebuilding of schools and temples and repair of infrastructure. We would be interested in how such a fund would be linked with the ASEAN Cooperation Fund for Disaster Assistance that has been established by the ASEAN Secretary-General.
Both the Prime Minister of Myanmar and the UN Secretary-General stressed this morning the importance of restoring rice production in affected areas in Myanmar. As the world’s largest rice exporter, Thailand is keen to offer our support for rice planting.
The reconstruction and rehabilitation process will need to be comprehensive. Its success will depend on effective needs assessment, accountability and the distribution of assistance to the people in need.
Mr. Co-Chairmen,
It is important that we pledge. But pledges can take time to fulfill. So it is even more important that we act.
Let us work together with Myanmar and through the ASEAN-UN Partnership. Let us help bring effective international assistance to those who have the most at stake at this Conference, namely, the affected people of Myanmar.
As incoming Chair of ASEAN as from July this year, we pledge to carry the task entrusted upon ASEAN, using the ASEAN Task Force chaired by the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Tripartite Core Group, to help these victims of Cyclone Nargis through, as well as in the relief and reconstruction phase.
Thank you.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-