13-7-2023 (BANGKOK) Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai has officially confirmed that he met with Myanmar’s exiled and imprisoned leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Speaking on the sidelines of the Retreat Session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, Minister Pramudwinai reassured that Suu Kyi was in good health.
During their meeting, Suu Kyi emphasized the need for dialogue as a means to resolve the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. Minister Pramudwinai echoed her sentiments, stressing the importance of inclusive dialogues that involve all stakeholders in Myanmar, including the military junta. He emphasized, “We must engage with the junta.”
Thailand has been pursuing its own alternative approach to address the crisis in Myanmar by inviting representatives of the military junta to three meetings since last year. In June, Bangkok extended an invitation to all ASEAN ministers for a meeting, which was attended by the Laotian foreign affairs minister and representatives from the Myanmar junta, while other ASEAN foreign affairs ministers abstained.
Minister Pramudwinai asserted that all three meetings initiated by Thailand fully adhered to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. The consensus includes immediate cessation of violence, dialogue among all parties, appointment of a special envoy, facilitation of humanitarian assistance from ASEAN, and permission for an ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar and engage with all relevant parties.
Minister Pramudwinai defended Thailand’s approach, citing Article 14 of the document released after the 2022 ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The article states that “ASEAN shall consider exploring other approaches that could support the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.” He emphasized that Thailand’s approach does not contravene the agreed-upon Five-Point Consensus.
“While our ultimate goal aligns with achieving the objectives outlined in the consensus, the meetings we have organized serve as a means to engage with our colleagues in Myanmar. We are seeking a resolution, so our aims are essentially the same,” he emphasized.
The meeting between Minister Pramudwinai and Suu Kyi on Sunday, July 9, marked the first confirmed encounter between the Burmese democracy icon and a foreign high-ranking official since the military junta staged a coup against Myanmar’s elected government.
