Thailand seeks to re-engage Myanmar junta with Asean meeting, says letter, sources
- Myanmar’s military rulers, in power since February 2021 coup, have been barred from top Asean meetings, criticised for failing to follow a peace plan
- Now Thailand’s foreign minister, in letter to Asean counterparts, apparently discusses re-engaging with the junta, including an informal Asean meeting this weekend
Thailand’s caretaker government is proposing to “fully re-engage” Myanmar’s military rulers and has invited Southeast Asian foreign ministers to an informal meeting on Sunday in an effort to jump-start a stalled peace plan, according to a letter seen by Reuters and sources aware of the invitation.
The proposal was made in a June 14 letter from Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to his Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) counterparts, seen by Reuters on Friday and confirmed by three sources with knowledge of the planned meeting.
The 10-member Asean - which includes Myanmar - has barred the junta’s ruling generals from its high-level meetings over its failure to honour its agreement, known as the “5-point consensus”, which included calls for an immediate end of hostilities, dialogue between all parties and the granting of full humanitarian access.
The current Asean chair, Indonesia, has declined to attend the meeting, according to three sources. The nation’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The foreign ministry in Thailand – expected to have a new government by August following an election last month – declined to comment.
