Myanmar engages ASEAN in first high‑level talks since 2021 coup

Myanmar ASEAN Five‑Point Consensus peace talks Tin Maung Swe

ASEAN foreign ministers and its special envoy met Myanmar’s foreign minister Tin Maung Swe in Bangkok, Thailand, marking the first face‑to‑face contact with the Myanmar government since the February 2021 military coup. The talks, chaired by Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro, focused on reviving the bloc’s Five‑Point Consensus, a roadmap for ceasing violence and initiating inclusive national dialogue.

Separate meetings in Thailand brought together the ASEAN envoy with ethnic rebel groups and the military‑backed National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee, where all sides expressed openness to dialogue. The National Unity Government, the elected‑in‑exile opposition, criticised the exclusion and raised concerns about the agenda.

Representatives discussed the junta’s 100‑day peace plan, the health status of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and cooperation on cross‑border crime. The conflict has already caused an estimated 100,000 deaths and displaced about 6 million people, underscoring the regional security stakes of the renewed engagement.