This statement is issued by Khun Kasit Piromya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and three former UN experts on Myanmar who are founding members of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M)

18 August 2026: Thailand’s short-sighted and self-interested decision to engage with accused war criminal and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has shattered any vestige of a common ASEAN position on Myanmar and further fuelled the junta’s bloodshed and intransigence.

The day after Min Aung Hlaing returned from his recent Thailand jaunt, the junta issued a statement rejecting a request by Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro, to meet with detained Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta also took aim at Singapore as next year’s ASEAN Chair, declaring the position of ASEAN Special Envoy no longer necessary just as Singapore prepares to appoint Lazaro’s successor.

So emboldened is the junta that despite having perpetrated a nationwide atrocity campaign that has killed tens of thousands of Myanmar civilians, displaced millions more, and triggered a regional crisis, it is now accusing ASEAN of “discriminatory treatment” and threatening its members with “countermeasures”.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s misguided embrace of Min Aung Hlaing is catastrophic not only for ASEAN but, more starkly, for Myanmar civilians. Since Min Aung Hlaing’s Bangkok visit, the junta has directly targeted flood affected civilians in Sagaing region with airstrikes and has maximised their suffering by blocking the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

“Thailand’s Prime Minister lacks basic knowledge and any sense of purpose on Myanmar,” said Khun Kasit Piromya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. “And Thailand’s Foreign Minister has completely sold out his fellow ASEAN Foreign Ministers.”

“Both conveniently forget or choose to ignore the democratic values and human rights and humanitarian obligations they claim to uphold,” Khun Kasit added. “The consequences for Thailand, ASEAN and most particularly the Myanmar people are dire.”

Astonishingly, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow admitted recently that, during the visit, Thailand did not even extract a commitment from Min Aung Hlaing to decrease violence, release political prisoners, and allow humanitarian access. “In diplomacy, sometimes we don’t really need commitment on the spot,” the Foreign Minister said, adding that he intends to give the junta “time to think about it.”

Adding to its ignominy, Thailand is now preparing to host another accused war criminal – General Ye Win Oo, the junta’s new military Commander-in-Chief, who is responsible for directing the torture, rape and killing of political prisoners among other alleged atrocities.

Min Aung Hlaing clearly hopes to tread water until Thailand’s 2028 term as ASEAN Chair by waiting out the Philippines’ remaining months and disengaging from Singapore next year. ASEAN’s survival hinges on sinking this plan. The Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Timor-Leste must coordinate to thwart the junta and pressure Thailand back into the ASEAN fold.

Furthermore, the Philippines and Singapore must immediately partner in building formal relationships with legitimate stakeholders, including the Steering Council for a Federal Democratic Union, the National Unity Government, ethnic organisations, civil society, and minority communities including those who have been forced to leave Myanmar.

ASEAN must support these stakeholders in shaping the foundations of a genuine, inclusive and sustainable federal democratic Union, and scale up humanitarian support to all civilians in need as stipulated in ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

By embracing a warlord, Thailand has torched its credibility and belittled the dignity and suffering of fellow human beings across the border. A Buddhist Kingdom whose government has a heart of darkness.

Khun Kasit Piromya

Marzuki Darusman

Yanghee Lee

Chris Sidoti