Thailand’s foreign minister said his government has sent monitors to observe the general election organized by the military authorities of neighboring Myanmar.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow spoke to NHK in Bangkok.
He said he hopes “that the election is going to be the start of a transition process” and promote political dialogue between all the political forces in Myanmar.
Pro-democracy groups have been excluded from taking part in the election. The international community has widely condemned the vote as a sham.
Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations decided not to send a delegation as some expressed concern that doing so could be perceived as endorsing the military-run election.
But the foreign minister stressed Thailand’s commitment to continued engagement with Myanmar. He said the election “probably not perfect in the eyes of many, especially the Western countries.” But Thailand has to deal with the reality because Myanmar is its “next-door neighbor.”
Meanwhile, he expressed concern over Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader detained by the military who remains unaccounted for. He said “it would be good if she would be released.”
Foreign ministers from ASEAN member states are scheduled to meet in the Philippines later this month to discuss how to respond to the election results.