Bangkok--Jul 22--MFA
Remarks by Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand at the Press Conference to Release the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) Report Monday, 21 July 2008
Excellencies,
Distinguished ASEAN Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Royal Thai Government, I wish to commend His Excellency George Yeo, the ASEAN Chair, and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the ASEAN Secretary-General, for the success in developing the ASEAN-led mechanism, under the ASEAN-UN Partnership, to coordinate international humanitarian assistance to affected areas in Myanmar in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. I wish to place on record our appreciation to the Government of Myanmar for the cooperation it has rendered to ASEAN and the international community in this unique endeavour. The UN, represented here by Sir John Holmes, and the international community have also played a key role in supporting this ASEAN-led effort.
The PONJA Report being released today is a product of our joint action. It is a significant step forward in the collective effort to ensure that the victims of Cyclone Nargis receive the help they need and that early recovery is expedited. The Report is comprehensive. It is a testament to the excellent work done by the ASEAN-UN-Myanmar Tripartite Core Group (TCG) over the past two months. The Report should facilitate further recovery and relief assistance. Indeed, the Report identifies first year needs of the people of Myanmar as being agriculture, community and religious infrastructure, education and health. These are the priority areas we must continue to address.
For Thailand, relief and recovery must be timely, targeted and sustained. We speak from experience — the experience of the Tsunami of December 2004. We must ensure that those whose livelihoods have been affected are able to, once again, stand on their own feet. And key to success in this endeavour is involving the community in the affected areas. After all, it is the people in those communities who know what they most need.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As an immediate neighbour and ASEAN Member Country, Thailand acted quickly to help the Myanmar people after Cyclone Nargis. We were the first to arrive in Myanmar with assistance, sending in relief supplies and donations worth more than 16 million US dollars. Thailand’s Don Muang International Airport will continue to serve as a UN staging area for the mobilisation of international humanitarian assistance into Myanmar for at least six months after Cyclone Nargis. Moreover, we are looking into making Don Muang International Airport a more permanent base from which to respond to future natural disasters in the region.
The ASEAN Chairmanship will transfer to Thailand later on this week. As Chair, Thailand pledges to ensure that ASEAN, in partnership with the UN and the international community, continues to facilitate recovery in Myanmar and use this unique experience to improve the regional disaster management arrangements for the sake of all peoples in the region.
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-
Remarks by Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand at the Press Conference to Release the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) Report Monday, 21 July 2008
Excellencies,
Distinguished ASEAN Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Royal Thai Government, I wish to commend His Excellency George Yeo, the ASEAN Chair, and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the ASEAN Secretary-General, for the success in developing the ASEAN-led mechanism, under the ASEAN-UN Partnership, to coordinate international humanitarian assistance to affected areas in Myanmar in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. I wish to place on record our appreciation to the Government of Myanmar for the cooperation it has rendered to ASEAN and the international community in this unique endeavour. The UN, represented here by Sir John Holmes, and the international community have also played a key role in supporting this ASEAN-led effort.
The PONJA Report being released today is a product of our joint action. It is a significant step forward in the collective effort to ensure that the victims of Cyclone Nargis receive the help they need and that early recovery is expedited. The Report is comprehensive. It is a testament to the excellent work done by the ASEAN-UN-Myanmar Tripartite Core Group (TCG) over the past two months. The Report should facilitate further recovery and relief assistance. Indeed, the Report identifies first year needs of the people of Myanmar as being agriculture, community and religious infrastructure, education and health. These are the priority areas we must continue to address.
For Thailand, relief and recovery must be timely, targeted and sustained. We speak from experience — the experience of the Tsunami of December 2004. We must ensure that those whose livelihoods have been affected are able to, once again, stand on their own feet. And key to success in this endeavour is involving the community in the affected areas. After all, it is the people in those communities who know what they most need.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As an immediate neighbour and ASEAN Member Country, Thailand acted quickly to help the Myanmar people after Cyclone Nargis. We were the first to arrive in Myanmar with assistance, sending in relief supplies and donations worth more than 16 million US dollars. Thailand’s Don Muang International Airport will continue to serve as a UN staging area for the mobilisation of international humanitarian assistance into Myanmar for at least six months after Cyclone Nargis. Moreover, we are looking into making Don Muang International Airport a more permanent base from which to respond to future natural disasters in the region.
The ASEAN Chairmanship will transfer to Thailand later on this week. As Chair, Thailand pledges to ensure that ASEAN, in partnership with the UN and the international community, continues to facilitate recovery in Myanmar and use this unique experience to improve the regional disaster management arrangements for the sake of all peoples in the region.
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-