Thailand warns ASEAN will struggle to re-engage Myanmar even after elections

BANGKOK: Thailand’s foreign minister offered a sobering dose of realism on Tuesday, suggesting that hopes for Southeast Asia to reconnect with Myanmar will remain dim unless the junta shows a genuine willingness to change.

Speaking candidly at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand, Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Myanmar’s upcoming election—set to begin Dec 28 even as fighting rages across the country—simply doesn’t have the inclusive dialogue needed to be taken seriously.

“Under the present circumstances … it will be difficult for us to re-engage with Myanmar,” he said, adding that he hoped ASEAN members would stay united in that stance.

The election has already drawn widespread scepticism. Critics see it as little more than an attempt by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to tighten his grip nearly four years after overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. Many pro-democracy groups have been banned or are refusing to participate, and the military itself admits the vote won’t reach the entire country.

ASEAN foreign ministers, increasingly frustrated, urged the junta last month to commit to a fairer, more open process—something they’ve been asking for since the bloc introduced its peace plan in 2021.

Amid all this, Suu Kyi remains at the heart of the region’s concerns. Now 80 and reportedly suffering from worsening heart problems, she has been held in isolation since the coup. Sihasak called for compassion and her release, saying, “She’s been in custody for too long, and at her age, we don’t know the condition of her health.”

Myanmar’s turmoil has only deepened over the past three years, with resistance groups gaining ground and civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. Whether the upcoming election can change the country’s trajectory—or ASEAN’s approach—remains far from certain.