Thai PM to attend Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York

BANGKOK, Sept 19 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha will attend the Summit for Refugees and Migrants, organized as part of the 71st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) in New York later this week. Deputy Government Spokesman Major General Werachon Sukhondhapatipak told journalists on Monday that the Thai prime minister is scheduled to attend the Summit for Refugees and Migrants at the UN Headquarters on September 19 (New York time), prior to his participation in the UNGA71 during September 20-23. The deputy spokesman noted that the Summit for Refugees and Migrants was set to be held as part of the annual UN General Assembly for the first time this year at the initiation of US President Barack Obama, in which the Thai prime minister has been invited to participate along with leaders of other world economies playing key roles toward a solution to the international problem of irregular migrations. According to the deputy spokesman, Prime Minister General Prayut will raise Thailand's roles and operations to deal with the problem of irregular migrations over the past decades. The deputy spokesman acknowledged apart from having provided shelters for about 200,000 refugees who fled violence in their home countries so far at at least nine border locations, which have been recognized by the world community, the prime minister will also raise a new related problem of irregular migrations that Thailand has encountered at the the September 19 Summit, caused by both political and economic problems in their home countries. "Prime Minister General Prayut will inform the world leaders that Thailand has developed a screening system to separate those being really in trouble due to violence in their home countries from other groups of irregular migrations namely those being motivated by economic reasons and those involving in the human trafficking problem that needs a serious solution", said the deputy spokesman. The deputy spokesman stressed that Thailand, as a transit nation not a targeted destination of the irregular migrants, has taken care of them based on the humanitarian basis, covering providing them with education, vocational training and health services, while seeking joint actions from the international community to solve the problem of irregular migrations seriously. (TNA)