On 4 December 2015 at 9.30 hrs. H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, opened the 2nd Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean at the Anantara Siam Hotel, Bangkok. This Meeting is part of the Royal Thai Government’s continued efforts and commitment to address the problem of irregular migration in the Indian Ocean.
         Senior Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam, ASEAN Secretariat, European Union, and Thailand, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) attended as participants. A number of Ambassadors and Charge d’Affaires based in Bangkok also observed the meeting.
          In his opening statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs lauded affected countries and the region for undertaking vigorous measures to address the realities of irregular migration as well as reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to prevent and suppress the smuggling and trafficking of migrants while also taking into account the humanitarian concerns of migrants. The Minister also stressed that the issue should not be regarded as merely a phenomenon, but rather an issue involving the lives of individuals. Reiterating the complexity of this issue, Minister Don said, all countries must work together on the basis of international burden sharing to come up with a systematic and holistic approach to solve this issue. While no sighting of irregular migrants have been found so far since June, the possible resumption of irregular maritime movements after the monsoon remains a serious concern. Thus, the Meeting will serve as a preemptive platform to come up with tangible and sustainable measures bearing in mind the importance of prevention and protection.