Myanmar ASEAN freeze remains despite talks, Thailand says

Myanmar's leadership remains sidelined by ASEAN despite planned informal talks between the country's foreign minister and Southeast Asian counterparts in Bangkok, Thailand said on July 10.

Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe is due to attend an informal meeting with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Sunday. The Philippines, which holds ASEAN's rotating chairmanship this year, said it would be the first in-person engagement between ASEAN and Myanmar foreign ministers since the 2021 military coup.

Maratee Nalita Andamo, a deputy spokesperson for Thailand's foreign ministry, said the meetings were an important step toward gradual and principled engagement with Myanmar, but did not change ASEAN's established position or decisions on the country.

ASEAN has blocked Myanmar from high-level summits since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The coup plunged the country into civil war, and ASEAN has made little progress with its five-point peace plan for national dialogue with all sides.

Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam confirmed that their foreign ministers would attend Sunday's meeting. Thailand said the guest list was still being finalised.

The Thai spokesperson said recent elections in Myanmar, after which coup leader Min Aung Hlaing became civilian president, had created an opening, though the vote was highly restricted.

The Philippines said Myanmar's minister would brief counterparts on the current situation in the country. Monitor group ACLED says more than 100,000 people have been killed in Myanmar's civil war.