Former foreign minister Kasit Piromya has urged Thailand as the current chair of Asean to use the 34th Asean Summit and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) as an opportunity for peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula.
Mr Kasit said Thailand should take the initiative to raise the security issue in the upcoming forums. "As Thailand the chair of Asean, the current foreign minister should take the lead in proposing the matter to the 34th Asean Summit, to be held later this month, and the ARF where the United States and North Korea can discuss the issue. We can also talk in the United Nations General Assembly in September," he said.
He made the remark at an event held at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on yesterdayto celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Thai-North Korean diplomatic relations.
Mr Kasit proposed solutions to the security challenge on the Korean Peninsula. "I call for a peace treaty to reduce hostility among the US, South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. Moreover, the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) should declare the Korean Peninsula a nuclear-free zone," he said.
However, Mr Kasit said that since peacebuilding is a complex process, other measures are needed to bring about sustainable reconciliation.
"The UNSC and its five permanent members [US, UK, France, Russia, and China] should pledge their unwavering support for peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula. UN peacekeepers should remain in place for another 10-15 years to avoid confrontations. Finally, the US should withdraw all troops in an exchange for nuclear disarmament on the North Korean side," he said.
The former foreign minister also suggested Thailand can encourage North Korea and South Korea to establish a confederation. "However, they should decide on their own political systems without any foreign intervention or coercion," he said.
Meanwhile, Tej Bunag, Mr Kasit's predecessor, expressed his optimism for peace on the Korean Peninsula. "The Trump-Kim summits in Singapore and Hanoi may have stalled, but it paved the way for positive outcomes in the future," he said.