The talks among ASEAN members in Thailand may expedite the work for peace in war-torn Myanmar, analysts have said amid calls from human rights groups for the bloc to stand firm against the junta.
he upcoming ASEAN talks on Myanmar may offer opportunities for intensified cooperation within the bloc to resolve the crisis through informal tactics to advance peace in the war-torn country, but only if the group takes a firmer stance against the junta and formally engages the democratic government, observers say.
Thailand is hosting two separate regional meetings on Thursday and Friday to discuss the unabating conflict in Myanmar that started with a 2021 military coup d'état.
Thursday’s meeting involved representatives from Myanmar and its five neighbors, including China, Bangladesh and India, to discuss border security and transnational crime, among other issues.
Meanwhile, Friday’s talk will see ASEAN member states, including the bloc’s current chair Laos and next year’s, Malaysia, discussing the issue.
The meeting among ASEAN members is expected to discuss the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) that calls for, among other aspects, cessation of violence and dialogue among all parties. The initiative has so far made scant progress in brokering peace in Naypyidaw despite intensifying international pressure to immediately end the conflict.
Read also: RI delegation prepares for Myanmar talks in Bangkok
Member states confirmed as attending the meeting as of Thursday are Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines.
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