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Thailand's foreign minister Kasit Piromya has said political change in Myanmar was "very much needed" for the stability of all neighbouring countries.
Piromya, who came to Dhaka Monday on a two-day official visit, said he and his Bangladesh counterpart had "extensive discussion" on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.
The minister told reporters at a joint-press briefing at the foreign ministry that changes in the Myanmar military regime could resolve the Rohingya refugees and the displaced people along the Bangladesh-Myanmar and Myanmar-Thailand borders.
"So, the changes in Myanmar are very much needed. It not only is a necessity for the security of Myanmar but also for all the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh and Thailand."
Priomya said the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh went through military regimes "to some extent".
"All of us have got rid of the military authoritative regimes and emerged to be having democratic society."
He said Indonesia, which was ruled by one man for 30 years, had successes.
"So the question is to be posed to the situation in Myanmar. Why can't they also emerge from that to an open society?
"It would be good for the whole region. It would good for all of us," he said.
Asian Highway
On the proposed Asian highway, Piromya said Bangladesh-Myanmar-Thailand was the most viable route.
He said Bangladesh and Thailand could easily be connected by road via Myanmar, subject to the approval of the three governments.
"I think there are roads inside Bangladesh, there are roads inside Thailand and there are some roads in Myanmar.
"There are talks of the East-West corridor and the talks on Asian super highway coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan to Vietnam and so on have been in the pipeline for long.
"And the Asian highway is the part and parcel of the ESCAP study for so many years," Priomya told reporters.
He said there was an option for stretching a road from India through a part of Bangladesh to India again en route to southern China via Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
"The option for a road from Chittagong to Myanmar and Thailand looks quite viable in terms of the international perspective," he said.
"This is an on-going process."
The Thai foreign minister said his country and Myanmar had cross-border roads.
"So, why should we not extend the (Myanmar) roads to Bangladesh?"
In that case, he observed, the products can go both ways.
"We have made quite a few linkages with Myanmar and you have learnt about the linkages between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
"It very much also depends on the key security conditions in Myanmar
He said the political security was also important.
On-arrival visa
Dipu Moni said Thailand agreed to give on-arrival visa to Bangladeshi diplomats and government officials.
She hoped the on-arrival visa would be available for the general public too in future.
Bangkok, she said, also extended support to Dhaka's initiative to set up the headquarters of BIMSTEC in Bangladesh capital.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, groups together Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The seven-country forum aims to achieve its own free trade area by 2017.
Source: bdnews24.com
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