The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has emphasized that Thailand and its neighboring countries are committed to addressing the escalating issue of transboundary haze.
Following a recent trilateral meeting between Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai assured the public that senior officials from the three countries will hold detailed discussions on the prevention of burning practices.
He stressed that neighboring countries are also facing this common problem and are rushing to take action. Thailand will also share its knowledge on the burning issue by proposing the establishment of small-scale community power plants.
When asked about the case of citizens planning to file a lawsuit against the prime minister for failing to resolve the situation, the deputy premier explained that the issue did not arise under the current administration. He noted that it has in fact been a long-standing issue going back 20 years.
Minister Don confirmed that the ASEAN bloc is working to address this problem and has been tackling it continuously. He added that the problem was further exacerbated after the pandemic when human activities that contribute to air pollution resumed.
The minister also said the government has measures to address the problem, both in the short and long term.
The matter will be discussed again at the upcoming ASEAN meeting. (NNT)
