Myanmar junta’s foreign minister Than Swe praised Thai cooperation over transnational crime when he was welcomed to a regional diplomatic gathering in India.
He thanked Thai foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa for Thailand’s work to tackle drug and arms trade, human trafficking and online fraud when they met at the Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
The group also includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Thai police seized arms and ammunition, including three rocket launchers, which were believed to be sent to Myanmar in the Thai border town of Mae Sot in April.
Last month, Thai soldiers reportedly seized 200,000 methamphetamine pills abandoned by smugglers after an exchange of gunfire near the border in Chiang Mai.
Thai police in June raided the Mae Sot office of the Spring Messenger Revolution Support Group, an anti-regime group raising funds for the civilian National Unity Government and People’s Defence Forces.
In February, a junta court in Tanintharyi Region issued a warrant for casino owner Kyaw Lwin, a dual national from Myanmar and Thailand wanted by the Thai government for online gambling and tax fraud in Ranong.
Junta media reported that Maris and Than Swe discussed deepening bilateral ties and cooperation, and closer cooperation through Bimstec and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with Than Swe when he arrived in Delhi.
A Myanmar-India-Thailand meeting was also held in Delhi on Thursday to discuss a regional highway, increasing cooperation for border stability, delivery of humanitarian assistance, drug and arms trade and online scams, the junta media reported.
Than Swe attended the first Bimstec foreign ministers’ retreat in Thailand last year.
