Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai appointed Pornpimol Kanchanalak as the country’s first special envoy on Myanmar today (Tuesday).
Pornpimol is currently serving as an advisor on foreign policy to Don. According to the letter of appointment, dated April 25th, 2022, as seen by Thai PBS World, she will have five responsibilities, namely:
- Drive and monitor the tasks among agencies within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with the initiatives and policies on Myanmar of the Foreign Minister.
- Coordinate activities outside the ministry and with the private sector.
- Represent Thailand in domestic and international negotiations, meetings and seminars that relate to Myanmar, as per specific orders.
- Report directly to the Foreign Minister on policy implementation, including essential developments.
- Carrying out specially assigned tasks and duties.
She will be assisted by a senior foreign ministry official with an office inside the Prime Minister’s office.
The current ASEAN special envoy on Myanmar is Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. At the ASEAN retreat in mid-February, the bloc instructed Prak to work closely with Noeleen Heyzer, the special envoy on Myanmar appointed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Recently, the EU named Igor Driesmans as its special envoy on Myanmar. China and Japan have had their special envoys on Myanmar for a number of years.
