Inviting Myanmar to attend an upcoming regional military meeting in Bangkok, co-hosted by the United States, is not a sign of reconciliation with Washington, according to US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet.
US-Myanmar ties began deteriorating following the Feb 1, 2021, military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The ensuing conflict between the junta and rebel forces has plunged the country into a crisis the US State Department says has resulted in "nearly 3,000 killed, nearly 17,000 detained, and more than 1.5 million displaced".
In response, Washington has imposed sanctions against members of the ruling junta and their family members.
Speaking yesterday during a teleconference marking the second anniversary of the coup, Mr Chollet told reporters that Washington has been careful to ensure support for Asean-led mechanisms that do not lend credibility to the military junta.
On Feb 20–24, the US and Thailand will co-chair the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus experts' working group on maritime security in Bangkok and Myanmar is invited to attend some discussions.
"There has been no change to [US] policy," Mr Chollet said.
"There is a multilateral Asean defence ministers meeting called ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security and a table talk exercise that Thailand will host in February," he added.
"I should note that these working-level meetings have been occurring over the last two years roughly at the frequency of every six months, mostly virtual or hybrid because of the pandemic, and this would be an in-person meeting," he noted.
He said that Myanmar is still in Asean, but its representatives must not join policy-level meetings -- only technical and expert-level talks.