Muslim minority, since communal violence in 2012 between Rohingya and the Buddhist majority in western Rakhine State brought their plight to the fore.
Htin Lynn called Volker’s comments a “politicisation” of the migrant subject, and added that “some issues” are internal matters.
Bangkok began its belated crackdown on the smuggling trade in the country’s deep south on May 1, after dozens of bodies were pulled from mass graves in a remote border area studded by migrant camps.
On the Malaysian side of the same frontier, authorities have found 139 suspected migrants’ graves, raising fears that both officials and residents had turned a blind eye to the lucrative business.
More than 3,500 starving migrants have since arrived on Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian soil while the UN estimates there are 2,500 more still feared trapped at sea as the monsoon season approaches.
The vast majority of migrants are Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, or Bangladeshis trying to escape poverty.
Observers have cast doubt over the capacity of Southeast Asian neighbours to act on a cross-border issue which has exposed gaping holes in the rule of law across several countries.
“Asean countries have hidden behind the notion of ‘non-interference’ to turn a blind eye to the persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar, to the growth of criminal smuggling and human trafficking networks, and the increasing demand for undocumented labourers,” Sam Zarifi, Asia director for the International Commission of Jurists said in a statement.
Countries attending the talks include those directly affected by the current crisis such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia — all of whom vacillated for days before bowing to international pressure to offer humanitarian aid to migrants trapped at sea.
All three nations say they now are actively searching for any remaining boats adrift in their waters, while the US has sent reconnaissance flights over the seas.
Diplomatic pressure is mounting on Myanmar and Bangladesh as to why so many of their citizens flee their shores.
Myanmar’s Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.
They face restrictions on movement, jobs and family size, while their pariah status means they are unrepresented — even Myanmar’s democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi chooses not to exert her moral authority on their behalf.
The former junta-led quasi-civilian government has balked at any criticism of its treatment of the community and has previously threatened to pull out of the talks altogether if the word Rohingya is used.
Other countries attending have a less obvious direct link to the Southeast Asian migrant crisis, such as Afghanistan, India, Iran and Papua New Guinea.
All those attending are below minister level, apart from Thailand’s junta-appointed Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn.
The United States, which is attending as an observer, is set later on Friday to pledge financial assistance to tackle the crisis.