Mizzima
The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) issued a statement on 19 February regarding Thailand’s informal meeting with Myanmar’s military junta in Phuket. They welcomed humanitarian engagement but emphasized that ASEAN should not recognize the junta’s election results or any related institutions.
The text of the NUCC statement is as follows.
The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) acknowledges Thailand’s recent informal meeting with the Myanmar military regime in Phuket. As a frontline neighbor, Thailand directly faces the humanitarian challenges, cross-border complexities and security implications arising from Myanmar’s crisis, and NUCC welcomes initiatives aimed at easing suffering and promoting dialogue with ethnic communities.
However, NUCC stresses that ASEAN’s credibility depends on consistency. The electoral process conducted in Myanmar between December 2025 and January 2026 was neither free nor inclusive, and ASEAN has already taken the principled position of not recognizing the election results. This position must extend to all institutions arising from that process, including the Hluttaws and USDP claimed parliamentarians.
Engagement with Myanmar must remain strictly humanitarian and security focused. ASEAN unity requires that political legitimacy be reserved for inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, as reflected in the Stakeholders Engagement Meetings (SEM) initiated by Malaysia and reinforced by the Philippines.
NUCC reaffirms its commitment to work with ASEAN’s Chair Troika and member states to uphold this principled stance and ensure that ASEAN’s engagement with Myanmar remains balanced, constructive, and legitimacy-preserving.
Comments
Post a Comment