The Speaker of the Thai Parliament reaffirmed its commitment in rescuing Sri Lankan victims of human trafficking in Myanmar

On 17 December 2024, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Bangkok, Wijayanthi Edirisinghe paid a courtesy call on Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, Speaker of the Parliament and President of the National Assembly of Thailand, at the Parliament. The meeting was held to discuss and further strengthen the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The Speaker emphasized the 70-year-long friendly relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka, underpinned by shared cultural and religious heritage. He highlighted that Buddhism, Thailand’s national religion, originated from Sri Lanka, forming a significant bond between the two nations.

The Ambassador recalled the upcoming 70th Anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025 and informed the Speaker that a series of commemorative events will be organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

She also expressed her gratitude to the Royal Thai Government for its assistance in rescuing and repatriating stranded Sri Lankan victims through Thailand’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) system. Furthermore, she requested Thailand’s support in rescuing the remaining Sri Lankan victims from cybercrime centers in Myanmar. The Speaker reaffirmed their commitment to assisting Sri Lankan victims of human trafficking by forwarding the issue to relevant agencies for collaborative resolutions. He reiterated Thailand’s prioritization of human rights and acknowledged that human trafficking remains a critical issue within ASEAN and on a global scale, requiring collective action.

Discussions also touched on enhancing parliamentary relations. The Ambassador Edirisinghe emphasized the importance of re-establishing of parliamentary friendship groups between the two countries and requested to facilitate exchange programme specially for the new members of the Sri Lanka Parliament and foster greater cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism.

The Speaker highlighted the significance of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between Thailand and Sri Lanka this year, and expressed confidence that it will further boost trade volumes between the two nations. He also expressed willingness to provide scholarships for Sri Lankan students to support educational development.

The meeting was attended by senior Thai parliamentary officials, including Suraphon Nakwanich, Advisor to the President of the Parliament; Damrong Puttan, Honorary Advisor to the President of the Parliament; Mook Sulaiman, Secretary to the President of the Parliament; Kampee Ditthakorn, Spokesperson for the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Thongchai Rattanawicha, Assistant Secretary to the President of the Parliament; Thakhanit Pornthongprasert, Assistant Secretary to the President of the Parliament; Fareeda Sulaiman, a member of the President of the Parliament’s working team; and Apol Nuntakwang, Director of the International Relations Bureau. Head of Chancery A.W.S. Samanmali and Counsellor (Commercial), Vireshika Bandara were also joined the meeting at the Parliament.

The courtesy call marked another step in strengthening the historic ties and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Thailand in multiple domains, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in the years to come.

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Bangkok
18.12.2024