ASEAN Fractures Widen as Thailand Hosts Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing
A conversation with Mark Cogan of Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka.
In the midst of Myanmar's recent commemoration of the 8888 uprising, Thailand welcomed Min Aung Hlaing, the former general who took power in a coup earlier this year. This marked Hlaing's second official visit to an ASEAN member state, further dividing the regional organization which had previously excluded Myanmar from official gatherings due to ongoing conflict.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul deviated from ASEAN protocols despite potential legal challenges, as the International Court of Justice prepares to rule on whether Hlaing and Myanmar's military leaders committed genocide against the Rohingya. Hlaing's inaugural visit as president occurred in Laos in early July, followed by his recent trip to Thailand, less than a week after he granted permission for an International Committee of the Red Cross representative to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been missing for years.
Peace and Conflict Studies professor Mark Cogan highlighted the moral and political divisions within maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, including Myanmar's civil war, the South China Sea Code of Conduct, and the ongoing Thai-Cambodian border dispute.
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