LAST week, Thailand hosted two critical Asean meetings on Myanmar, a country still ensnared in crisis nearly three years after the military coup of February 2021.
The meetings focused on two pressing issues, namely border security and transnational crime, followed by a review of Asean’s Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan designed to address the multifaceted challenges Myanmar faces. At first glance, these meetings may appear pragmatic.
Myanmar’s implosion has destabilised the region, intensifying forced migration, crossborder crime and economic disruptions.
For Thailand, which shares a 2,400km border with Myanmar, these are not distant problems but immediate national concerns. Yet beneath the veneer of pragmatism lies a deeper, more troubling dilemma: Thailand’s decision to include junta representatives risks legitimising a regime responsible for egregious human rights abuses, undermining both Asean’s credibility and the principles it claims to uphold.
Since the military coup, Myanmar has spiralled into a devastating conflict. Reports from the United Nations, international organisations and local civil society detail a grim reality: Widespread arbitrary arrests, torture, airstrikes targeting civilians and forced conscription.
Over 4,000 civilians have been killed and more than two million displaced, while thousands of political prisoners languish under brutal conditions. Ethnic minorities, including the Karen, Kachin and Rohingya, continue to face systematic persecution that constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The toll on Myanmar’s people is staggering. Families have been torn apart, entire communities razed and countless lives shattered. Yet, while Myanmar’s people demonstrate extraordinary resilience, the junta remains emboldened by the inaction of both regional and global actors.
Adopted in April 2021, Asean’s Five-Point Consensus laid out a roadmap for peace: An immediate cessation of violence, inclusive national dialogue, humanitarian assistance and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, nearly three years on, the plan lies in tatters.
The junta has intensified its brutality, dismissing Asean’s efforts with impunity, while humanitarian aid remains blocked from those who need it most.
The failure of the Consensus stems not only from the junta’s refusal to comply, but also from Asean’s inability to enforce its own commitments.
The plan lacks clear benchmarks, timelines or consequences for violations. This absence of accountability has rendered Asean’s actions toothless, emboldening the junta to act with increasing audacity.
Beyond the geopolitical fallout, the crisis strikes at the core of Asean’s identity. The bloc’s failure to act decisively on Myanmar undermines its principles of human rights, peace and security. It also emboldens authoritarian actors across the region, weakening Asean’s standing on the global stage.
Myanmar’s crisis is not merely a domestic issue, it is a regional and international challenge with profound implications for Asean’s future. The military’s escalating violence has destabilised South-East Asia, fuelling cross-border crime, human trafficking and refugee flows.
If Asean continues to falter, Myanmar risks becoming a failed state and a hub for illicit economies, from drug production to arms trafficking. At the Asean Summit in October last year, leaders emphasised a “Myanmar-owned and led” peace process. The phrase sounds respectful of sovereignty, but it has become a smokescreen for inaction.
What does “Myanmar-owned and led” mean when the military junta monopolises political space, silences elected leaders and violently suppresses dissent?
Under the junta’s rule, Myanmar’s political landscape has been decimated. Elected leaders have been imprisoned, civil society organisations disbanded and ethnic minorities excluded from any semblance of dialogue.
A process orchestrated by the oppressors, while excluding legitimate stakeholders, cannot lead to a sustainable or just peace. For a truly “Myanmar-owned and led” process to succeed, it must include all voices, including the National Unity Government, ethnic armed organisations and Myanmar’s civil society groups and students. They represent the aspirations of Myanmar’s people, not the junta. Dialogue that excludes them only perpetuates the military’s narrative of control, deepening the cycle of violence.
Thailand’s decision to host these meetings reflects its position as Myanmar’s closest neighbour and a frontline state facing the fallout of the conflict.
Issues like border security, refugee influxes and economic disruptions demand immediate attention. However, pragmatism must not come at the expense of principle.
By granting junta representatives a platform, even under the guise of informal dialogue, Thailand risks legitimising their rule and setting a dangerous precedent that engagement with the junta is an acceptable path forward.
Since the coup, Asean has deliberately excluded Myanmar’s military leaders from high-level meetings to signal their illegitimacy.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to prioritise Myanmar during Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship in 2025, a welcome commitment that must be matched with action.
To restore its credibility, Asean must impose tangible consequences on the junta for its noncompliance, such as targeted sanctions, diplomatic isolation and restrictions on financial and military resources.
Inclusivity is equally critical.
A credible and just peace process cannot be dictated by the junta alone. Asean must engage all legitimate stakeholders. Without their voices, any dialogue will be hollow and perpetuate the junta’s oppressive grip on power. Finally, humanitarian assistance must be delivered urgently and independently. Millions of Myanmar’s citizens are in dire need, yet the junta continues to obstruct aid delivery. Asean must ensure that aid reaches those most affected, free from military interference.
The crisis in Myanmar is not just a test of Asean’s capacity to address regional challenges; it is a test of its moral character. The bloc must choose whether to uphold its principles of peace, justice and human rights or capitulate to political expediency.
For the people of Myanmar, the stakes could not be higher. They have endured unimaginable suffering for far too long. Asean must rise to the occasion, not only to resolve this crisis, but to reaffirm the values that bind the region together.
Anything less would be a betrayal of Myanmar’s people and a blow to Asean’s integrity. – The Jakarta Post/ANNYuyun Wahyuningrum is an Indonesian representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights from 2019 to 2024.
