Thaksin Shinawatra has been tasked with drafting a proposal and recommendations for ASEAN to begin working towards the adoption of a cryptocurrency, he announced on Friday.
In his role as a personal adviser to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN chair, Thaksin said he was chosen for the assignment due to his keen interest in digital currencies.
He emphasized that the time has come for ASEAN to recognize the significance of cryptocurrency, especially following U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Late last month, President Trump, who has vowed to revamp America’s cryptocurrency policies, ordered the establishment of a working group to draft new regulations and explore the development of a national cryptocurrency reserve.
Thaksin predicted that Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia would likely be the first ASEAN nations to participate in the regional cryptocurrency initiative. His discussions with Mr. Anwar in Malaysia on Feb 2-3 included this topic as one of the three key issues they addressed.
Another matter Thaksin was asked to assist with was the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. Mr. Anwar expressed his desire for all ASEAN members to maintain stable and conventional governance structures and sought Thaksin’s involvement in facilitating dialogue among conflicting parties in Myanmar.
Thaksin noted that he has connections with most of the groups engaged in the conflict and intends to persuade them to engage in discussions to ease tensions.
The final key issue discussed was the ongoing unrest in Thailand’s southern provinces. Thaksin expressed hope for improvements in the situation, stating that both the Thai and Malaysian governments now understand the shortcomings of previous peace efforts. However, he did not provide further details on those past failures.
In related news, a police officer was killed, and three others were injured when a bomb detonated on a roadside near a petrol station in Pattani’s Nong Chik district yesterday morning.
The victims, identified as Pol Sgt Maj Nopphon Raksaphram, Pol Cpl Anucha Khwanthong-on, Pol Sgt Maj Chatmongkhol Nutsri, and Pol Cpl Keelarat Thongma, were conducting a routine patrol on two motorcycles when the explosion occurred.
Pol Cpl Anucha suffered critical injuries and, despite medical efforts at Nong Chik Hospital, succumbed to his wounds.
