Thailand is hosting regional talks to find solutions to Myanmar’s bloody civil war

BANGKOK – Two days of meetings on the violent political crisis in Myanmar began in the Thai capital Bangkok on Thursday. This is the latest in a long series of regional talks that have made no progress in restoring peace in the war-torn Southeast Asian country.

Myanmar has been rocked by violence since its army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and violently suppressed peaceful pro-democracy protests, leading to the creation of an armed resistance movement. The military government has used harsh tactics, including airstrikes, to suppress its opponents, but the war has only grown more intense, particularly in the past year.

Thursday’s discussions included foreign ministers and senior officials from Myanmar and its neighbors Laos, China, India, Bangladesh and host country Thailand. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa called their talks important as it was the first time Myanmar and all five of its neighbors had met.

Myanmar’s neighbors have made numerous efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis amid fears of regional destabilization, particularly the massive refugee movement ahead of the fighting.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has taken the lead in efforts to restore peace in Myanmar. Its members, excluding Myanmar, will hold talks in Bangkok on Friday.

ASEAN agreed on a “five-point consensus” for peace in early 2021, but Myanmar’s military leadership did virtually nothing to implement it, frustrating the group’s other members as they barred senior members of Myanmar’s ruling military from participating refused to attend their meetings.

The peace plan calls for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, dialogue between all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, the provision of humanitarian assistance through ASEAN channels and a visit by the special envoy to Myanmar to meet all concerned parties.

Only a very limited Thai-led effort to provide cross-border assistance has succeeded. Thailand is widely seen as taking a conciliatory stance toward Myanmar’s military government, which many countries condemn for its brutal war and suppression of democracy.

The six nations that attended Thursday’s meeting “agreed that direct engagement with Myanmar is critical and necessary,” Maris said from Thailand. “They recognize the value of regular meetings. And they share the same understanding, more so than other countries, because they are direct neighbors who are directly affected by the situation in Myanmar.”

Thai officials said Thursday’s talks “took place in a friendly and cordial atmosphere with an open and constructive exchange of views in areas related to border security and combating transnational crime, particularly illegal drugs and online fraud.”

They said Myanmar Foreign Minister Than Swe briefed them on the military government’s political roadmap, which focuses on elections scheduled for next year.

Critics of the Myanmar government of Major General Min Aung Hlaing have expressed dissatisfaction with the conciliatory attitude towards his regime.

“Instead of ‘two-track’ diplomacy, Thailand is engaging in two-faced diplomacy – signing ASEAN declarations aimed at condemning and isolating the junta while quietly trying to bring the junta back into the regional community.” said Patrick Phongsathorn, senior advocacy specialist at Fortify Rights, a human rights group specializing in Myanmar issues.

“As the junta’s atrocities escalate and their repercussions have massive regional implications, ASEAN must steadfastly reject Min Aung Hlaing and his cabal, as well as any attempt to consolidate its position through the sham elections planned for next year,” he said.