Jakarta, NU Online
Thai and Indonesian leaders agreed Friday to tackle the Rohingya refugee issue under the Bali deal, as well as advance cooperation in several fields between the two countries.
During their bilateral talks, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also discussed how the two neighbors would cope with the global economic recession and the prospects of the ASEAN Summit, which Thailand will host next week.<>
Abhisit said Thailand supported regional cooperation to deal with the plight of Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority Rohingya, including settling the problem through the Bali Process, a multilateral initiative launched in 2002 aimed at combating people smuggling, trafficking and related transnational crimes in the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions.
“We need to get all the countries involved, whether they are the destination countries, the countries of origins, or countries like Thailand and Indonesia,” Abhisit told a press conference after his meeting with Yudhoyono at the Merdeka State Palace.
“We are in favor of having the Bali Process to help deal with this situation… we’ve always been supportive of regional cooperation because we don’t see other solutions.”
Yudhoyono echoed Abhisit’s statement, saying Indonesia would work with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR, as well as countries involved with the Bali Process to find “more permanent solutions to deal with 400 Rohingya presently stranded in our territories [Aceh]”.
In the meantime, Yudhoyono said, Indonesia would continue an investigation into the origin of the Rohingya people, while assuring they would be provided with humanitarian assistance.
In the economic sector, the two neighboring countries “reaffirmed [their] commitment to expand economic cooperation” in the fields of trade and investment, despite the global economic crisis.
In 2007, bilateral trade was valued at US$7.3 billion, while in the first 10 months of 2008 that figure rose to $8.7 billion. The figure has grown by 21 percent annually in the last five years, according to Yudhoyono.
Indonesia and Thailand have agreed to boost cooperation in food security, agriculture, fisheries and the development of alternative energy.
Both also agreed to maintain communication, consultation and cooperation on the southern Thailand issues.
Yudhoyono said Indonesia respected and supported the efforts of the Thai government in tackling the separatism problem, while Abhisit said Thailand was committed to a peaceful settlement.
Last year, Vice President Jusuf Kalla facilitated an informal meeting between Thai government officials and representatives of a Muslim Thai separatist group. (jp/dar)
Thai and Indonesian leaders agreed Friday to tackle the Rohingya refugee issue under the Bali deal, as well as advance cooperation in several fields between the two countries.
During their bilateral talks, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also discussed how the two neighbors would cope with the global economic recession and the prospects of the ASEAN Summit, which Thailand will host next week.<>
Abhisit said Thailand supported regional cooperation to deal with the plight of Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority Rohingya, including settling the problem through the Bali Process, a multilateral initiative launched in 2002 aimed at combating people smuggling, trafficking and related transnational crimes in the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions.
“We need to get all the countries involved, whether they are the destination countries, the countries of origins, or countries like Thailand and Indonesia,” Abhisit told a press conference after his meeting with Yudhoyono at the Merdeka State Palace.
“We are in favor of having the Bali Process to help deal with this situation… we’ve always been supportive of regional cooperation because we don’t see other solutions.”
Yudhoyono echoed Abhisit’s statement, saying Indonesia would work with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR, as well as countries involved with the Bali Process to find “more permanent solutions to deal with 400 Rohingya presently stranded in our territories [Aceh]”.
In the meantime, Yudhoyono said, Indonesia would continue an investigation into the origin of the Rohingya people, while assuring they would be provided with humanitarian assistance.
In the economic sector, the two neighboring countries “reaffirmed [their] commitment to expand economic cooperation” in the fields of trade and investment, despite the global economic crisis.
In 2007, bilateral trade was valued at US$7.3 billion, while in the first 10 months of 2008 that figure rose to $8.7 billion. The figure has grown by 21 percent annually in the last five years, according to Yudhoyono.
Indonesia and Thailand have agreed to boost cooperation in food security, agriculture, fisheries and the development of alternative energy.
Both also agreed to maintain communication, consultation and cooperation on the southern Thailand issues.
Yudhoyono said Indonesia respected and supported the efforts of the Thai government in tackling the separatism problem, while Abhisit said Thailand was committed to a peaceful settlement.
Last year, Vice President Jusuf Kalla facilitated an informal meeting between Thai government officials and representatives of a Muslim Thai separatist group. (jp/dar)
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