ASEAN's Myanmar Engagement Risks Granting Legitimacy to Junta

ASEAN's re-engagement with Myanmar runs the risk of providing legitimacy to the military-led government and undermining the regional group's own plan to end violence in the war-torn country, analysts said. Analysts familiar with the Myanmar situation warn that continued dialogue and meetings with the military junta could offer the regime an opportunity to break its international isolation and consolidate its domestic control. Concerns are particularly high regarding continued formal engagement without concrete progress on the "five-point consensus" adopted by ASEAN in 2021, which calls for an immediate cessation of violence and dialogue with all parties. ASEAN has positioned the stabilization of Myanmar as a regional imperative, aiming for a diplomatic resolution. However, as the military regime remains reluctant to implement the agreed-upon points, there are views that ASEAN's engagement, without yielding substantive results, is merely providing the junta a platform to "wash its face" internationally. This could potentially betray the hopes of democratic forces and civil society within Myanmar. To maintain regional solidarity and ASEAN's credibility, a more effective approach is needed. Beyond simply providing a platform for dialogue, more robust diplomatic strategies and potential sanctions may be required to encourage concrete changes in behavior. Source: Bangkok Post