ASEAN will pursue incremental engagement in Myanmar

Significance

Myanmar’s junta for the first time accepted the invitation to have a ‘non-political’ representative at high-level ASEAN meetings, standing since its exclusion from such events. The junta sent a civil servant to the AMM Retreat.

Impacts

• Thailand will play a greater role in ASEAN’s Myanmar strategy and take the lead in distributing humanitarian assistance.
• Washington will urge Beijing to do more to promote dialogue between the junta and the anti-junta National Unity Government.
• Russia will seek to strengthen its relationship with the junta, partly to secure additional arms for the war in Ukraine.