Thai Deputy Prime Minister Putan, Assistant Minister of Public Security of China Liu Zhongyi, and Deputy Minister of the Interior of Myanmar held a joint meeting at Mae Sot Airport in Tak Province, Thailand, to hear a summary report on the relevant action plans.
After the talks, representatives of the three countries shook hands, symbolizing the smooth progress of this operation and highlighting the close cooperation between the three countries. Subsequently, it was decided that Putan would host a press conference on behalf of the three parties to explain the progress to the outside world. Putan stated at the press conference that the purpose of this visit was to follow up on the cooperation between the three countries.
The three parties had formulated an action plan several months ago and have always maintained ministerial-level communication and coordination. He emphasized that during Liu Zhongyi's visit to Thailand, no Thai policy-level officials appeared in the Mae Sot area, which was not a misunderstanding of "China's overstepping command" by the outside world, but because the relevant work had already reached a consensus.
Putan further revealed that Liu Zhongyi specifically asked him to clarify this matter to the media and apologized for any misunderstandings that might have been caused by China's eagerness to advance the resolution of issues, hoping that the outside world would understand and assist in clarifying, so as not to affect the cooperation between the three countries.
He pointed out that this operation involved border security and multiple execution links, and no single party could complete it alone; only through cooperation among the three parties could the smooth progress be ensured. In addition, all parties respect each other's national sovereignty and strictly abide by their respective national laws.
Putan stated that this tripartite cooperation has made actual progress, and it is expected that ministerial talks between the three countries will be held within a week or longer. Currently, the Deputy Minister of the Interior of Myanmar has started his journey back to his country and stated that he could return to Thailand for talks at any time, while Liu Zhongyi has not left due to official duties.
If all arrangements are in place, Thailand will lead the subsequent affairs. Currently, the Thai Ministry of Defense has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all preparations are ready.
In response to external doubts about the Thai law enforcement's failure to perform biometric verification, Putan sternly clarified that all procedures were strictly in accordance with the law, and the relevant personnel must bear legal responsibilities, with absolutely no violations.
He stated that the screening work conducted at the Myanmar border involved the full participation of Thai officials, and the entire repatriation process complied with legal procedures and international human rights standards. He also revealed that Thailand is considering restoring the legal framework implemented in 2005 and establishing an institution similar to a national security operations center, to be commanded by the commander of the Third Army Area. In the future, this institution will establish a clear operating mechanism and arrange for a spokesperson to regularly release information to the media, while the military, police, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely cooperate.
Putan reiterated that the repatriation of Chinese nationals was conducted through a complete legal process, with no simplified procedures. He pointed out that these individuals would be listed as "prohibited from entering" under Article 119 of the Thai Criminal Code, but did not explicitly use the term "blacklist," only emphasizing that they would not be able to re-enter Thailand.
Regarding the 200 Chinese citizens screened today, whether they are victims or criminal suspects, he declined to comment for now.
Putan revealed that this operation has been successfully completed, and if new repatriation operations are to be launched in the future, screening work must be completed in advance. The Myanmar government has promised to provide a list of personnel to Thailand as soon as possible, and the Thai side has requested that the list be submitted in advance before personnel cross the border, to facilitate detailed verification.
After the verification is completed, Thailand will contact the relevant countries to arrange a special plane to receive the repatriated personnel. As some countries find it difficult to negotiate directly with Myanmar, Thailand is actively coordinating with various embassies and has received high praise from the international community, being considered to have played an important role in coordination and humanitarian assistance in this operation.
Regarding border control, Putan pointed out that Thailand has taken strict measures, and currently has a repatriation list of over 3,000 people, with the specific repatriation progress depending on the advancement of the verification process. As for the illegal cargo transportation issue in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar, he stated that the Thai government has launched an investigation, and all cross-border transportation is within controllable limits. Whether to further strengthen the blockade will be decided based on actual assessments.
