Thailand’s decision to hold talks with the Myanmar military has again tested the unity of Southeast Asia’s main regional bloc, analysts said, questioning why the Thai government called the meeting, especially after it was defeated in elections last month.
The main member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that have criticized the Burmese junta – Malaysia, Singapore and current ASEAN president Indonesia – rejected the meeting, which Bangkok defended on Tuesday by saying it was held in the best interest of Thailand.
Thailand and Myanmar, along with five other ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines), as well as India and China, attended the meeting in Pattaya on Monday, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said. in a later statement.
Officials in attendance included a mix of foreign ministers, envoys and representatives.
However, Cambodia and the Philippines “signaled their discomfort” by not sending their top diplomats, according to Hunter S. Marston, an Asian affairs researcher at the Australian National University.
“(Thailand) is actively undermining the centrality of ASEAN by forcing member countries into extremely uncomfortable decisions that they would rather not be exposed to such scrutiny because they are willing to compromise with the board,” Marston told BenarNews of Thailand’s efforts. to compromise with the Myanmar military regime.
The meeting “risks dangerously diverting diplomatic resources and attention from the office of the special envoy in Jakarta,” he added.
Thailand’s approach was also at odds with Indonesia’s “calm and more inclusive” diplomacy, Marston said.
“Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia have taken a clear stance in opposition to the Thai approach,” he said.
Indonesia holds the rotating ASEAN presidency this year. has established a office of the special envoy in Myanmar to deal with a crisis that erupted in that country after the army overthrew an elected government on February 1, 2021.
Jakarta has also quietly engaged with Burma’s parallel civilian government and military administration, as well as China, India and Thailand, to resolve post-coup conflicts in Myanmar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. . revealed in may.
In October 2021, ASEAN as a bloc decided to exclude any representatives of the Myanmar junta from its meetings after the military regime reneged on a five point consensus for the peace that he had agreed to at an emergency summit of Southeast Asian leaders in April 2021.
The United Nations and human rights groups say Myanmar’s junta security forces have killed thousands of civilians and post-coup fighting has displaced an estimated 1.5 million people.
Still, Thailand said Tuesday it had hosted talks to complement ASEAN efforts and protect its 2,400-kilometre (1,491-mile) border with the conflict-ravaged country.
“Our ASEAN friends live far away and have no connected border, so they are following their theory and don’t see daily problems,” Thai Foreign Minister Don said. Cross-border crime mainly affected Thai citizens and businesses, he noted.
The participants found the meeting useful and wanted Thailand to hold it again, he added.
But Ngurah Swajaya, special adviser for regional diplomacy at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, reiterated Jakarta’s commitment to dealing with the crisis through formal ASEAN mechanisms on Monday night.
“If a country takes the initiative, that’s fine, it’s their right,” Ngurah told a news conference.
“But if we talk about whether this is in the ASEAN context, there are rules of the game, there is a five-point consensus, there are summit decisions, that is what we have to pay attention to.”
This was not the first time that Thailand had organized “Track 1.5” or informal dialogues with the Myanmar junta.
In March, Thailand convened a meeting between countries sharing borders with Myanmar, such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Bangladesh, China, India and Japan to discuss border issues and approaches to the crisis. India hosted a similar round of alternative meetings a month later in New Delhi.
“There are ASEAN members who might identify with the military regime more than others,” said Joanne Lin, co-coordinator of the Center for ASEAN Studies at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
“ASEAN countries bordering Myanmar will have their separate concerns, including refugee movements, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and therefore may feel the need to engage with the (Burmese junta) to address these problems practically. ”
‘Conserving power’
Meanwhile, some analysts and observers raised questions about Thailand’s current administration holding such a meeting when it lost its mandate to Thai voters in the May 14 general election.
Analysts said the talks were likely an attempt by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s interim government to maintain its influence and strengthen ties with the Myanmar military before a potential new government took office.
Chancellor Don said the decision to hold the meeting was already in the works and the national electoral body had just certified (on Monday) the results of last month’s elections. He doesn’t see why Thai interests have to wait.
But Forward Partywho won the majority of seats in the lower house of parliament on Tuesday signaled his intention for a more active foreign policy and a change in approach to Myanmar.
The party’s leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, reiterated his government’s “unwavering” commitment to the centrality of ASEAN in the Myanmar issue.
“By prioritizing ASEAN centrality, promoting inclusive engagement, focusing on human security and renewing our national focus, we aim to contribute to a stable and prosperous future for the Thai and Burmese people, as well as the region as a whole. ”Pita said in a statement. statement.
Prayuth, a former army chief, became prime minister after leading a coup against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014. He remained in the post following his election by lawmakers after the 2019 general election. .
Salai Bawi, a political scientist at Chiang Mai University, said it was clear that a potential Move Forward government’s strategies would restore everything Prayuth had established.
“Over the past nine years, the Thai military has formed meaningful relationships with the Myanmar military,” he told BenarNews.
“Therefore, it is crucial to preserve the power grids of the Thai military and the Myanmar government. … I think this is an attempt by the (current) government to maintain its influential networks.”
Meanwhile, a group of Southeast Asian lawmakers called the Thai government’s decision to hold the meeting with the Myanmar junta and others an “arrogant disregard for ASEAN unity, the human rights of the Myanmar people and even the will of his own citizens.”
The current Thai government was overwhelmingly defeated in the recent general election and no longer has a mandate from the people; Initiating such talks despite this is a slap in the face of Thai voters,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) co-chair Charles Santiago said in a statement on Monday.
Tria Dianti and Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata in Jakarta, Wilawan Watcharasakwet in Bangkok, and Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand contributed to this report.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization.
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