Thailand has offered to host informal consultations on efforts to end the crisis in Myanmar in December, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankur outlined the offer at an online press conference on the first day of the Asean Summit and related meetings in Vientiane.
“Our proposal is backed by Laos [the current Asean chair] and Malaysia [the incoming chair], so we believe this informal consultation will take place,” he said.
Mr Nikorndej said Asean leaders agreed during a retreat session of the summit that the crisis in Myanmar is a prime concern, and that every member would like to see peace return to the country.
They also urged all parties in the Myanmar crisis, in particular, the armed forces and other security apparatus, to de-escalate and cease targeting civilians, he said, citing a statement issued after the retreat.
Asean has made little progress with its “five point consensus” peace plan for Myanmar, agreed on months after the 2021 coup.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was a party to that agreement but his administration has all but ignored it, even as the country spirals into civil war and dire economic straits.
The junta has rejected all calls for talks with the shadow government formed by supporters of the elected administration ousted by the military, branding them as “terrorists”.
But Kao Kim Hourn, the Asean secretary-general, said leaders remain adamant that the grouping will stay engaged with Myanmar.
“We need time and patience,” the secretary-general said in an interview with Reuters.
“Myanmar is such a complicated, a complex issue. … We should not expect a quick fix.”
As the expanding armed resistance against the military government continues, 18.6 million people — more than a third of the population — are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance.
Despite losing control of wide swathes of territory and being pinned down across multiple front lines, the junta appears to be pushing ahead with plans for an election next year, which has been widely derided as a sham.
Asean will continue to push for "inclusive political dialogue" among all conflicting parties in Myanmar, said Kao Kim Hourn, even as leaders look to scale up humanitarian assistance.