JABAR EKSPRES – ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) called Thai Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai’s decision to go ahead with informal meetings with Myanmar’s military junta a betrayal of the Myanmar people and an affront to ASEAN unity.
“The Thai government’s decision to hold this meeting, despite opposition from the ASEAN chair, Indonesia, as well as Singapore and Malaysia, shows the arrogance of ignoring ASEAN unity, the human rights of the Myanmar people, and even the will of its own citizens,” APHR Deputy Chair Charles Santiago said in a written statement on Monday.
According to leaked documents, Pramudwinai sent a letter dated June 14, 2023 to invite ASEAN foreign ministers to an informal discussion planned for June 18-19, 2023 to re-engage Myanmar in meetings at the heads of state/government level.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi reportedly replied to the invitation with a rejection letter on June 15, while Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry released a similar statement on June 18.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told a press conference during his visit to the US on June 17 that “it is premature to re-engage with the junta at the summit level or even at the foreign minister level.”
Meanwhile, the Philippines has not released an official statement but reportedly will not attend.
Nonetheless, Pramudiwinai insisted that talks would resume on June 19 and the Thai Foreign Ministry said that high-level representatives from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, India, China, Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam had confirmed their attendance.
The meeting follows the previous 1.5 track meeting held in Thailand in March and attended by high-ranking officials from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam along with China, India, Bangladesh, and Japan.
“We are disappointed that Thailand and other countries are still willing to engage with Myanmar’s murderous junta without any attempt to hold it accountable, despite continued military atrocities that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of its own people,” Santiago said.
