Myanmar army's election plan part of regional talks in Thailand, sources say

BANGKOK: A plan by Myanmar's ruling junta to hold an election amid raging fighting is expected to be discussed in talks on Thursday (Dec 19) between its foreign minister and counterparts from neighbouring countries, according to three sources.

Thailand is hosting two separate regional meetings on Myanmar this week, the first involving the war-torn country's neighbours, including China, Bangladesh and India, followed by one comprising members of the ASEAN regional bloc.

The talks come as Malaysia next year takes over the chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that has failed to implement a peace plan in Myanmar, where escalating conflict is also impacting its neighbours.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021 when its military overthrew an elected civilian government and cracked down on ensuing pro-democracy protests, triggering a nationwide armed rebellion that has grown in strength.

Despite being battered on multiple frontlines, contending with a collapsing economy and dozens of political party banned, the junta is pushing to hold an election in 2025 - an exercise that has been widely derided as a sham by its critics.

The issue is expected to come up in talks in Bangkok on Thursday to be attended by Myanmar's army-appointed Foreign Minister Than Swe, said three sources with knowledge of regional diplomacy.

They declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"Myanmar wants to market the election," one of the sources said. "They want legitimacy."

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment.

China, which maintains close ties with the junta, has expressed support for a political transition in Myanmar and the 2025 election, while Thailand's leader has called for heightened engagement with Naypyitaw ahead of planned polls.

"NOT TRANSPARENT"

Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura this week said Thursday's meeting would be an informal consultation on border security and transnational crime.

On Friday, ASEAN members will meet to discuss, among other matters, the bloc's "Five Point Consensus" plan for peace in Myanmar, Nikorndej said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will chair ASEAN next year, has also roped in as his personal advisor former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, the influential father of current Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

A billionaire political heavyweight, Thaksin has previously sought a mediation role in the Myanmar conflict, according to Thai media.

"These two days of meetings are very fraught and not transparent," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, underlining the exclusion of the Myanmar rebel groups from the discussions.

"It's not even a realistic approach. And this is going to sour, it's going to make the dialogue ... even more difficult."