Today, the Secretary-General met with H.E. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Secretary-General expressed his condolences for the recent Erawan Shrine bombing in Bangkok. He thanked Thailand for its leadership in addressing the recent refugee crisis in Southeast Asia and strongly encouraged ASEAN Member States to discuss preventive measures to address the issue.

The Secretary-General conveyed his concern about the shrinking democratic space in Thailand and emphasized the need to uphold freedom of speech and assembly.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General discussed the Government’s roadmap to the elections, now scheduled for July 2017.

The Secretary-General congratulated Thailand on its election as Chair of the G77 in 2016. He urged Thailand to further key issues of global relevance in this capacity, notably sustainable development and climate change.