Following the incursion of a Myanmar fighter jet into Thai airspace, a group of 21 ASEAN civil society groups sent a statement to the Thai government on 3 July.
According to the statement: ''A Myanmar junta MIG-29 fighter jet entered Thai airspace over Phop Phra District in Tak Province, along the Thailand-Myanmar border. The intrusion of the jet which flew over residential areas, and loud explosions in Karen State's Myawaddy township caused Thai civilians in both villages to flee and take shelter in bunkers. Local schools immediately suspended classes and evacuated students into school bunkers. ''
It said that the incursion was part of an offensive the Myanmar military had been carrying out since 26 June to capture the Ukrihta Military camp in the Wale Myaing area of Karen State's Myawaddy District on the Myanmar side of the border.
The groups said that it was 'distressing' that the Thai Prime Minister (P.M.), Prayuth Chan Ocha, described the violation of Thai sovereignty as 'not a big deal'.
The statement also criticised a meeting of the Thai delegation with the Myanmar junta at the Thailand-Myanmar Regional Border Committee, to discuss cooperation between defence forces, and Thailand's failure to make progress on its pledge to implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, while it instead cooperates 'with perpetrators of human rights and humanitarian crisis.'
It also criticised comments by Thailand's Special Envoy to Myanmar, Pornpimol Kamchanalak, opposing the effectiveness of 'condemnations, sanctions and ostracisation' of the junta. It said that, the Thai Government 'must not provide any direct and indirect supply, sale and transfer' of weapons including aviation fuel, munitions and training.
It called on the Thai Government 'to make efforts to bilaterally and through ASEAN to immediately stop escalating violence in Myanmar', and to 'advocate for ASEAN to move beyond its perfunctory Five-Point Consensus and formulate concrete solutions to address the situation and ensure accountability for crimes under international law and international human rights law.'
Finally, it calls on Thailand to allow people fleeing violence in Myanmar to take refuge in Thailand.
