Key facts
- ASEAN foreign ministers will meet their Myanmar counterpart in Bangkok on July 12.
- The meeting is an informal exchange aimed at promoting reconciliation in Myanmar.
- Myanmar's government was sidelined from ASEAN summits after a 2021 military coup.
- The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has caused over 100,000 deaths and displaced millions.
Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are scheduled to hold an informal meeting with their Myanmar counterpart in Bangkok on July 12. The meeting, confirmed by Thailand and Vietnam, comes as Myanmar's new army-backed government seeks to have its leaders reinstated in ASEAN summits, from which they were sidelined following the 2021 military coup and subsequent civil war.
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson, Pham Thu Hang, stated that the gathering in Bangkok presents an opportunity for direct exchange of views, enhanced cooperation, and the promotion of reconciliation dialogue within Myanmar. Thailand's foreign ministry also confirmed the meeting.
The protracted conflict in Myanmar has devastated the nation, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and displacing millions. Previously, ASEAN foreign ministers had agreed in May to a virtual meeting with Myanmar's top diplomat, following a push by Thailand for greater engagement with the current administration in Naypyitaw. The 11-member bloc had initially distanced itself from Myanmar's junta due to its failure to adhere to ASEAN's five-point peace plan. However, many member states have since shifted their approach. Notably, Myanmar's former junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, recently undertook his first visit to an ASEAN member state since assuming his civilian role, traveling to Laos.