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Thailand defends divisive Myanmar junta talks
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February 2021 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with more than 3,600 civilians killed in the military's crackdown on dissent, according to a monitoring group.
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Thailand's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai gives a press following his meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara, on January 26, 2023.
(AFP/Adem Altan)
T
hailand on Monday defended hosting talks with the Myanmar junta that have split the regional bloc leading diplomatic efforts to end the chaos engulfing the country since the military seized power.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February 2021 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with more than 3,600 civilians killed in the military's crackdown on dissent, according to a monitoring group.
The generals have been barred from high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc, of which Myanmar is a member.
But Thailand's caretaker government, which is dominated by army-linked parties, last week invited junta foreign minister Than Shwe to the informal two-day meeting.
The move has split ASEAN and drawn criticism that it is undermining the bloc's efforts to tackle the crisis.
However, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said the talks were needed.
"We suffer more than others because we share more than 3,000 kilometres of land and sea border with Myanmar," Prayut told reporters.
