ASEAN’s foreign ministers upbeat about peaceful solutions to Myanmar’s civil war

Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said the meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers saw potential for peaceful solutions to Myanmar’s civil war, with the regional bloc acting as mediator.

Maris said the ASEAN foreign ministers convened on Monday morning during the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

He added that the meeting expressed appreciation for Thailand’s support of Malaysia in its role as ASEAN Chair, particularly in providing humanitarian assistance to Myanmar following the 28 March earthquake.

The meeting also backed Thailand’s proposal for the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) to act as the main coordinator between ASEAN and Myanmar in delivering humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.

Maris said the foreign ministers agreed there were signs of constructive dialogue among the parties involved, paving the way for a peaceful resolution to the civil war.

He noted that the meeting shared Thailand’s view that resolving the Myanmar crisis would require open and constructive dialogue among all stakeholders.

Thailand, he said, had taken the initiative to foster such discussions between Myanmar and its neighbours since mid-2024.

During the meeting, Maris outlined Thailand’s efforts to promote dialogue, including:

• Tripartite talks among Thailand, Myanmar, and India
• Quadrilateral talks involving Thailand, Myanmar, China, and Laos
• Six-party talks between Myanmar and its five neighbouring countries

He added that these discussions began in December to seek Myanmar’s cooperation on multiple regional concerns, including border security, transnational crime, call-centre scam syndicates, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cross-border transport.