25-3-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand initiated the delivery of aid to military-ruled Myanmar on Monday (March 25), marking a humanitarian effort aimed at fostering dialogue between conflicting factions following three years of turmoil and violence triggered by a coup.
The Thai Red Cross convoy transported the first batch of 4,000 relief bags, containing rice, dried food, and essential supplies for 20,000 individuals, to its Myanmar counterpart at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing, as announced by Thailand’s foreign ministry.
This initiative forms part of Thailand’s broader peace efforts, supported by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to establish a humanitarian corridor amidst escalating civil unrest. Myanmar’s military clashes with ethnic minority armies and a resistance movement have led to widespread displacement, with the United Nations reporting over 2.6 million people displaced and more than 18 million in need of assistance.
Despite Myanmar’s generals agreeing to ASEAN’s five-point peace plan in April 2021, progress has been sluggish. Frustration within the bloc has mounted due to the junta’s reluctance to commit to humanitarian access, cessation of hostilities, and dialogue, opting instead for air strikes and artillery barrages in civilian areas.
Thailand aims to facilitate a reduction in hostilities and promote dialogue, viewing its aid delivery as a gesture of goodwill towards the people of Myanmar. Vice Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow emphasised Thailand’s aspiration for peace, stability, and unity in Myanmar.
The distributed aid will be concentrated in three pilot locations within Myanmar’s Kayin State, overseen by ASEAN’s humanitarian and disaster agency. Sihasak affirmed Thailand’s readiness to support dialogue and hinted at the potential expansion of humanitarian assistance to other regions in the future, although specifics were not disclosed.
