Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views regarding the ongoing situation in Bangkok, Thailand; and if he will report on the efforts being made at EU level to broker a peace agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21196/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is extremely concerned about the recent surge in violence in Thailand, including the army assault on the protesters' encampment in central Bangkok early on the morning of 19 May. This has resulted in five deaths and dozens of injuries, in addition to the thirty-six deaths which have already occurred since 13 May. The protests have been led by the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship, also known as the "red-shirts", and have been underway since 13 March. The "red-shirts" are supporters of the former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted after a military coup in September 2006. They regard the current Government as illegitimate and have called for the dissolution of Parliament and for new elections.

Following negotiations between the Government and protesters earlier this month, it appeared that a compromise between the parties had been reached, with Prime Minister Abhisit proposing a "reconciliation plan" and offering to hold elections in November. However, the Prime Minister's offer was conditional on the protesters ending their occupation of the main shopping district in Bangkok. For their part, the protesters vowed to remain in the encampment until the Prime Minister set a specific date for dissolving Parliament. With neither party prepared to compromise, the Government has now intervened to close the encampment. I very much regret the loss of life involved, on both sides.

The EU recently expressed grave concern about the situation in Thailand, urging both sides in the conflict to negotiate and to solve the political crisis through peaceful and democratic means. The "red-shirts" had appealed for EU observers to be sent to Thailand but the Thai government had insisted that it had the situation under control and did not need external assistance.

Replying to a Parliamentary Question on 30 March, I welcomed talks which had taken place between the Prime Minister and the "red-shirt" protesters and I expressed the hope that these talks would lay the foundation for broader dialogue on the range of issues which divide Thailand. I remain of the view that, if political stability is to be achieved and if Thailand is to successfully address the many challenges it faces, it is vitally important for the parties there to engage in dialogue and to work with each other in a spirit of peaceful, national reconciliation. The Government believes that the crisis can only be resolved through peaceful and democratic means. Together with our EU partners, we will do all in our power to promote this outcome.