An unfolding tragedy

Re: “Myanmar and two new game changers”, (Opinion, Dec 20).

While Khun Kavi correctly surmises that the recent passage of the so-called Burma Act by the US Congress and the imminent assumption of the Asean Chair by Indonesia both represent momentum toward recognition of the National Unity Government (NUG) as the legitimate authority in Myanmar, he fails to chastise our Foreign Ministry for smashing Asean solidarity on the Myanmar issue, by convening a meeting with the Myanmar junta’s foreign minister today.

Since April 2021, the junta’s chief foreign policy man has been barred from Asean meetings. Now, in a move which will surely infuriate Indonesia, as the incoming chair, as well as Malaysia and Singapore, who are increasingly frustrated by the junta’s brutish behaviour and complete rejection of the Asean 5-point consensus (5PC), the junta apologists who control our policy toward Myanmar have broken this long-standing diplomatic protocol and, according to Khun Kavi, “invited their colleagues from Asean to join a consultative dialogue”.

Are any other Asean members joining this meeting? So far, as reported, only the Chinese satellites, Cambodia and Laos. So is China shaping our foreign policy

now? Certainly, this policy of engagement with the junta, first echoed at the Shangri-La Dialogue panel on Myanmar in June by then recently appointed special envoy Pornpimol Kanchanalak, coincides perfectly with China’s desire to maintain recognition of the junta.

The unfolding tragedy that is Myanmar today deserves better from Thailand than pro-junta apologist policies. Any meaningful consultative dialogue must embrace the NUG and represent a unified Asean standpoint. Hopefully, we can look forward to Indonesia giving Asean some much-needed backbone. SAD OPTIMIST