On 28 March 2018, H.E. Mrs. Busaya Mathelin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and H.E. U Myint Thu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, co-chaired the 1st Meeting of the Thailand-Myanmar Joint Working Group on the Preparation of the Return of Myanmar Displaced Persons at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Bangkok. The Meeting was attended by relevant government agencies from both Thailand and Myanmar. 

 

The Meeting built on the success of the joint efforts between the Governments of Thailand and Myanmar on the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of the first batch of 71 Myanmar displaced persons on 25 and 26 October 2016. During the Meeting, both sides exchanged views on the development and challenges on the return of the first batch and agreed on the necessary preparations for the early return of the second batch within 2018. 

 

Since 1984, the Government of Thailand has sheltered displaced persons from Myanmar. Today, there are more than 100,000 displaced persons in 9 temporary shelters in Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi Provinces. For more than 30 years, Thailand, in cooperation with donor countries, international organizations and NGOs, has continuously provided humanitarian assistance to displaced persons. The Meeting was historic and reflects the close cooperation and determination of the Governments of Thailand and Myanmar to ensure the sustainable return of all Myanmar displaced persons.