The Thai caretaker government is set to hold informal regional peace talks today, Sunday, with the foreign minister appointed by Myanmar's ruling military council. However, key Southeast Asian nations have distanced themselves from the meeting, which has drawn sharp criticism. So far, only Cambodia has officially confirmed its intention to attend the planned talks.
Myanmar's generals have been barred from participating in high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for nearly two years due to their failure to adhere to an agreement to initiate discussions with opponents linked to the ousted civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently imprisoned.
Nevertheless, Thailand, whose Prime Minister has assumed power for the first time following a military coup, has invited Than Swe, Myanmar's foreign minister, to talks with other ASEAN members, according to two sources familiar with the situation speaking to Reuters. The Thai Foreign Ministry has been significantly reticent about the hastily arranged two-day meeting in Pattaya. The outgoing Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent out the invitations just four days before the scheduled start.
The deputy spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Natapanu Nopakun, stated this morning that he "has no information" regarding the meeting. Myanmar has been experiencing violence since the coup on February 1, 2021, with the military engaged in battles on multiple fronts in an attempt to crush a pro-democracy armed resistance that formed in response to the crackdown. The military council asserts that it is fighting against terrorists aimed at destroying the country.
