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Published on September 30, 2007

 Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram discussed the Burmese crisis with his British counterpart David Miliband during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

But Thailand could not push too hard on its immediate neighbour, which shares a border of 2,401 kilometres, since that might jeopardise relations, Nitya said.

"What Thailand can do best is to support Asean and United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who has already begun his mission in Burma," Nitya told reporters after his meeting with the British foreign secretary.

Thailand is the first place where displaced persons fleeing from conflict at home always land, he said, noting that Miliband expressed understanding about Thailand's unique circumstances.

Miliband also asked Nitya about the latest developments inside the closed country, as the sketchy reports on Burma were confusing. The junta has admitted killing nine people while other sources say the death toll could be much worse.

The forceful suppression of protesters was unlikely to end any time soon despite calls around the globe for the junta to practice restraint, Nitya said.

The UN Human Rights Council said on Friday it would hold a special session on Burma this week although the 47-member body has suspended its sixth session until December 10.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon in a meeting with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), including Thailand, repeated his call to the Burmese authorities to stop using violence.

"Recent developments in Myanmar [Burma] are causing grave concern. The authorities in Myanmar must exercise restraint, engage without delay in dialogue, release detained leaders and initiate a national reconciliation process," he said.

The NAM meeting's main theme was not about the Burma issue but how to make the organisation able to produce concrete outcomes for its members, Nitya said.

While here this week for the annual session of the UN General Assembly, he attended many meetings along with the assembly, including one for the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, of which Thailand is the prime mover.

Supalak G Khundee

 The Nation

New York