The prospects of Informal Consultation in Thailand

Myanmar Spring Chronicle – December 22 Scenes
MoeMaKa, December 23 2022

The prospects of Informal Consultation in Thailand

In order to find a solution to the political crisis in Myanmar, the informal consultation of ASEAN member countries hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand was attended by some neighboring countries and three ministers of the military council. ASEAN countries that attended the informal meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand on December 22nd were Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. The military council announced that three ministers of the military council attended, including the Foreign Minister of Myanmar.

 

As for the military council, there is no doubt that they actively attended because of the international invitation to recognize them as a government and to have an opportunity to express their narratives on the political crisis. If you look at the news released immediately, it is obvious that they are proud of this invitation.

 

The military council desperately wanted to show off that they were recognized as the official government rather than the meeting was meant for the Myanmar issue being a regional political problem. Rather than what suggestions and discussions were made by the other side during the consultation, the military council only released that they were talking about the peace talks with the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and the ASEAN humanitarian assistance called AHA.

 

Among the participating countries, Vietnam and Cambodia do not share borders with Myanmar, while Thailand and Laos do. As for Thailand, it is a country that will suffer the consequences of armed conflicts, such as the refugee problem and the problem of migrant workers who will enter illegally. There are also issues with arms and drug smuggling as a result of the conflict and the deterioration of the rule of law.

 

On the one hand, holding such an informal consultation is encouraging the military council diplomatically, and the fact that the NUG government has not been recognized and invited leads to the conclusion that Thailand has a biased position toward the military council on the Myanmar issue. As the ASEAN, it has restricted the military council from attending their meetings, and it has not yet met with the NUG. The foreign ministers of each country have met with the NUG, but there has been no meeting as an ASEAN organization.

 

The informal consultation, invited by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was the first meeting since the meeting with the Foreign Minister of the military council in Bangkok, Thailand, a few months after the military coup. Some of the chiefs of the Thai army visited Nay Pyi Taw earlier this year, and the meeting as members of the government occurred once again after more than a year. 

 

As Thailand is a government dominated by former military generals who have close relations with Western countries, it has a position that partially supports the involvement of the military in political power and practical interests rather than international standards. On the other hand, in order not to lose face with Western countries, Thailand has allowed humanitarian aid and refugee aid to be provided and also turned a blind eye to Myanmar political activists living illegally.

 

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand after the informal consultation, it was stated that, regarding the discussion about the Myanmar issue, they exchanged views on the exit strategy (not mentioning from what or the exit of which organization) and the pathway to return to normalcy in Myanmar.

 

Myanmar politics is becoming a spark for the countries in the region, and initiatives to make political profit from the Myanmar crisis are already there or may emerge more. The exit solution to the Myanmar issue is the decision of the domestic forces and political organizations that prioritize the people and it is also important to be able to choose the right path and be practical.