Thailand will advocate for more international engagement with Myanmar at next week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit May 25-27, the Thai foreign minister told media. This move is a part of the 10-member regional bloc’s push for international cooperation to end the Myanmar crisis.
Myanmar has been in the midst of an expanding conflict since its military ousted an elected civilian-led government in 2021, with fighting between the regime and a network of resistance forces that has displaced more than 3.5 million people and decimated what was once a promising frontier market economy.
A 2021 ASEAN peace plan called the “Five Point Consensus” had until recently made no progress but ASEAN’s chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has made a renewed push for dialogue.
This included separate talks held in Bangkok, Thailand, last month with regime leader Min Aung Hlaing and his regime’s opposition, which includes elected members of parliament ousted in the 2021 coup, the National Unity Government.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa in an interview backed Anwar’s efforts, which focused initially on trying to secure a ceasefire extension to facilitate humanitarian assistance following a devastating earthquake on March 28 that killed more than 3,800 people.
“A ceasefire is an important first step, but it cannot be one-sided,” Maris told Reuters. “We need to be able to bring various issues to the table for constructive dialogue and doing so without putting pressure on things.”
But since Anwar’s meetings last month, the Myanmar military has continued its campaign against resistance forces, including in areas where the quake struck, with multiple airstrikes and artillery assaults, as reported by Reuters.
Maris said clear steps on the peace initiative needed to be mapped out at meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, starting this weekend.
‘Change negative thinking’
Myanmar’s crisis has also exacerbated transnational crime, including the proliferation of scam compounds that the U.N. says have ensnared hundreds of thousands of people in illegal online operations that generate billions of dollars annually.
Maris said broad international cooperation in tackling that would help the peace initiative since it would bring all sides to the table, including ethnic armed groups.
“If there is no resolution to the conflict in Myanmar then transnational crime could not be addressed, the two issues are linked,” he added.
Myanmar’s generals, including Min Aung Hlaing, have been hit by sanctions and ostracized by Western powers over the coup and allegations of systematic atrocities against the civilian population, which they deny.
The regime’s international engagement has been limited to Russia and its neighbours, including China.
Maris said Thailand would provide more long-term assistance to Myanmar, including in education and healthcare, while using international platforms to promote engagement with the country.
“We are looking at this not only in helping to address short-term needs but also long term,” he said, adding engagement, would help foster dialogue that could lead to peace.
“We want to change negative thinking that is not productive.”
REUTERS
