House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has called for Asean to cooperate more closely in tackling narcotics, one of the root causes of crime in the country, saying Thailand is ready to play a leading role.
A parliamentary delegation led by Mr Wan attended a meeting of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on Wednesday in Vientiane, where this year’s Asean summit is also taking place.
Mr Wan was accompanied by his adviser, Dumrong Poottan, who also serves as an adviser to the Thai delegation.
Mr Wan presented the proposals put forward by the group during the meeting to Asean leaders on Wednesday afternoon. He underscored the importance of addressing global and regional challenges that have worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic, including economic downturns and climate-related disasters.
Asean needs to foster stronger economic ties and collaborate on disaster prevention, such as the flood issues recently faced by Thailand, he said.
Mr Wan highlighted the need for mutual understanding in global political crises, such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Israel-Palestine situation, which, though distant, have repercussions in the Asean region.
He said the drug problem is one of the most pressing issues in Thailand, with 70-80% of crimes linked to substance abuse or other drug-related matters. He said he had consulted Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and agreed to propose Asean-wide cooperation on combating this scourge.