Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise the issue of civilian deaths in Thailand with the United Nations. [21369/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As stated in the House in reply to a Parliamentary Question on 20 May, 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 and the violence which has occurred both in Bangkok and in the provinces following the military intervention. I am deeply concerned by reports that 15 people were killed and hundreds injured during the intervention, in addition to the thirty-six deaths which had already occurred since 13 May.

The protests in Bangkok 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 intervened to close the encampment.

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.

On the question of raising this matter at the UN, I understand that consideration will be given over the coming weeks to the idea of raising it at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has also been monitoring the situation carefully. In a statement issued on 14 May, the Secretary-General stated that he was following developments in Thailand with growing concern and that he was saddened by the reports of numerous civilian deaths, including journalists, as a result of clashes between protesters and security forces. He appealed both to the protesters and the Thai authorities to do all within their power to avoid further violence and loss of life. He has encouraged them to return urgently to dialogue in order to de-escalate the situation and resolve matters peacefully.

I share the views of the Secretary-General. 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, the parties there must engage in dialogue and 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.