Thailand hosts regional talks to find solutions to Myanmar's bloody civil war

BANGKOK — Two days of meetings on Myanmar ’s violent political crisis began Thursday in the Thai capital Bangkok, the latest in a long series of regional talks that have made no headway in restoring peace to the war-torn Southeast Asian nation.

Myanmar has been wracked by violence since its army in February 2021 ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and violently repressed peaceful pro-democracy protests, leading to the establishment of an armed resistance movement. The military government has used harsh tactics, including air strikes, to suppress its opponents, but the war has only became fiercer, especially in the past year.

Thursday’s discussions were attended by foreign ministers and high-level representatives from Myanmar and its neighbors, Laos, China, India, Bangladesh and host Thailand. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa described their talks as important because it was the first time that Myanmar and all five of its neighbors had met together.

Myanmar’s neighbors, fearing regional destabilization, particularly the massive movement of refugees from the fighting, have made numerous efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis.

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

ASEAN in early 2021 agreed on a “five-point consensus” for peace, but the military leadership in Myanmar did virtually nothing to implement it, frustrating the group’s fellow members to the extent they have barred leading members of Myanmar’s ruling military from attending their meetings.

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

Only a very limited Thai-led effort of providing cross-border aid came to fruition. Thailand is widely seen as taking a conciliatory attitude toward Myanmar’s military government, which is condemned by many countries for its brutal war and suppression of democracy.

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

Thai officials said Thursday's talks “were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, with a frank and constructive exchange of views, in areas related to border security and combatting transnational crime, particularly illicit drugs and online scams. ”

They said Myanmar Foreign Minister Than Swe informed them about the military government's political roadmap, focused on elections planned for next year.

Critics of the Myanmar government of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing have expressed dissatisfaction at conciliatory approaches to his regime.

“Rather than ‘two-track’ diplomacy, Thailand is engaging in two-faced diplomacy - signing up to ASEAN statements seeking to condemn and isolate the junta, while at the same time quietly attempting to usher the junta back into the regional fold,” said Patrick Phongsathorn, senior advocacy specialist at Fortify Rights, a human rights group specializing in Myanmar affairs.

“As the junta’s atrocities escalate, the effects of which have had a massive regional spill-over, ASEAN must be steadfast in its rejection of Min Aung Hlaing and his cabal and any attempt to solidify their position through the sham elections planned for next year,” he said.