As I see it | Asean centrality in spotlight as Thailand’s Myanmar talks expose divisions in regional bloc

Key Asean members stay away even as Thailand’s outgoing government justifies the Myanmar talks as pressing given the influx of refugees into Thailand

The informal talks have threatened to dismantle any progress Asean has made on the issue so far, critics say

Reading Time:3 minutes

Protesters hold up a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi and raise three-finger salutes, during a demonstration to mark the second anniversary of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, outside the embassy of Myanmar in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:30am, 23 Jun 2023

Thailand’s caretaker government triggered quite the controversy earlier this week, when it hosted an informal dialogue among Asean member states that included a senior official from Myanmar’s junta, in what has been described as a bid to find a swift solution to the country’s deadly ongoing crisis.

Monday’s meeting was highly irregular. While there is no rule in the Asean charter to prohibit a member state from organising informal dialogues, such meetings are typically called by the chair, which is rotated among members on an annual basis and currently occupied by Indonesia.

Thailand’s foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday that the informal dialogue was to complement efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to end the violence in Myanmar and mediate a solution between the junta and its political opponents, many of whom have been jailed or detained indefinitely while awaiting trial for various offences levied against them by the military government.

Thai foreign affairs minister Don Pramudwinai said on Tuesday that the situation was so pressing, they could not wait for the country’s new government to take over before bringing the Myanmar issue to Asean’s discussion table, according to local news reports. Thailand held a general election last month.

Outgoing Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the consequences from Myanmar’s conflict were especially dire for Thailand, which has seen thousands of refugees fleeing the violence crossing over the 3,000km land border shared by the two countries.

But some senior members of the 10-member bloc appeared unconvinced by Thailand’s outgoing administration.

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore – all vocal proponents of the 2021 decision to exclude senior representation from Myanmar’s junta at the Asean summit and senior ministers’ meetings – did not send any representatives to Bangkok for Monday’s dialogue.

Other member states reportedly sent junior officials to attend the informal talks. The only senior representatives were the foreign ministers of Thailand and Myanmar.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x

As I see it | Asean centrality in spotlight as Thailand’s Myanmar talks expose divisions in regional bloc

Key Asean members stay away even as Thailand’s outgoing government justifies the Myanmar talks as pressing given the influx of refugees into Thailand The informal talks have threatened to dismantle any progress Asean has made on the issue so far, critics say

Key Asean members stay away even as Thailand’s outgoing government justifies the Myanmar talks as pressing given the influx of refugees into Thailand

The informal talks have threatened to dismantle any progress Asean has made on the issue so far, critics say