DHAKA: Thailand will host a regional meeting on May 29 on the flow of migrants through the Bay of Bengal, the Thai foreign ministry said, as it grapples with an ‘unprecedented’ human-trafficking crisis.

‘The special meeting is an urgent call for the region to... work together to address the unprecedented increase of irregular migration,’ the ministry said in an earlier statement.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had called for a summit on the problem, but other countries did not respond to calls for a meeting of heads of government.

Senior officials from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia are expected to join the meeting with representatives from Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Cambodia, Laos, the United States, Vietnam and others at the one-day ‘Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean’ in Bangkok, the ministry said.

Observers from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, Office on Drugs and Crime, and other organizations have been invited.

‘The increasing complexity of the problem demands a multi-faceted approach. Countries of origin, transit, and destination must work together to address the problem comprehensively by addressing the root causes as well as all the contributing factors along the way,’ the ministry statement read.

The meeting will be chaired by Norachit Sinhaseni, permanent secretary for the Thai foreign ministry.

It is intended to be a ‘forum for exchange of information and intelligence on the current situation on irregular migration by sea and its challenges, as well as to demonstrate ... strong commitment to strengthen cooperation and foster more concrete actions’, the ministry said, reports Bangkok Post.

BDST: 1652 HRS, MAY 27, 2015
RR/SMS