Thailand says the approval of Myanmar’s airplane to pick up officials fleeing besieged border town is based on humanitarian reason as Thai prime minister confirms no military personnel or weapons are allowed.
A special flight on Sunday landed at an airport in Mae Sot, a Thai border town opposite Myawaddy that has been seized by rebel forces since the weekend, to transport Myanmar officials and their families to Yangon.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand on Monday defended the decision citing humanitarian principles.
Thanawat Sirikul, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Ministry received a request from the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand on Saturday evening to land special flights between April 7-9 along the Yangon-Mae Sot route to transport passengers and cargo. Considering the urgent situation and the possibility of evacuating Myanmar personnel and their families to safety, the Thai government decided to approve Myanmar’s request for humanitarian reasons, he said.
The spokesman reiterated that Thailand had assisted all parties in Myanmar based on humanitarian principles, without discrimination. Security agencies had clear protocols for managing situations, prohibiting the transportation of weapons onto Thai territory, he added.
On Sunday, between 9 p.m.- 10 p.m., initial reports emerged that the Myanmar government coordinated with the Thai government to land a Myanmar National Airline flight at Mae Sot International Airport in Tak province to retrieve Myanmar soldiers and their families, after all Myanmar soldiers surrendered to the Karen National Union (KNU) and the People’s Defense Force (PDF), enabling them to seize control of Myawaddy.
However, reports indicate that this flight did not actually transport any Myanmar soldiers back.
In response, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin disclosed receiving reports from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jakkapong Sangmanee, confirming that it was a normal civilian transfer and did not involve military transportation, adhering to proper approval processes without involving weapons or soldiers.
The prime minister said he called a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, and related organizations on Tuesday (April 9) to discuss and assess the situation, as well as determine Thailand’s future direction in ensuring border security and the safety of the people.
On the border of Mae Sot, the atmosphere remained calm throughout Monday, with no reports of skirmishes in Myawaddy.
Both Thai and Myanmar citizens continued to live their lives normally. However, Thai authorities have intensified surveillance along the border areas. (TNA)
