Thread: All parties unsettled by Thaksin’s unofficial role in Myanmar’s civil war

The attempt by ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra to act as unofficial mediator in Myanmar’s civil war, by conducting secret talks with anti-junta opposition groups, has left all parties, including the Myanmar military junta, uncomfortable, according to Irrawaddy online.


Thaksin has also asked to visit Myanmar, to hold talks with the junta, which has not responded.


The online report stated that, in March and April, Thaksin and his team met separately with representatives of revolutionary groups, including the Karen National Union, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Kachin National Organisation, and the National Unity Government (NUG), as well as the Restoration Council of Shan State.


Commenting on reports that Thaksin had held talks with Myanmar’s armed ethnic groups, operating along the shared border with Thailand, Myanmar’s government spokesman Zaw Min Tun said, ‘We view encouraging terrorist groups, which destroy Myanmar’s interests, as inappropriate.’


Irrawaddy reported that, during talks with the NUG, Thaksin was only able to meet with mid-level officials from the shadow government, despite expressing a desire to meet with its leadership.


U Aung San Myint, Secretary 2 of the KNPP, told the Irrawaddy that, during his meeting with the group, Thaksin said he wanted to mediate in Myanmar’s ongoing internal strife. ‘We didn’t strike any agreement with him. We said now is not the time for dialogue. We discussed how humanitarian assistance could be helpful, as there is fighting. We didn’t discuss anything else,’ he said.

All parties unsettled by Thaksin's unofficial role in Myanmar's civil war | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

He really is a megalomaniac!

A swindling chancer whose delusional ambitions have far and away exceeded his ability to achieve them through any innate skill or talent.
That he is the eminence grise behind the current junta is simply just another symptom of just how medieval this society truly is.

Considering he"s such good mates with scum like Hun Sen, it might have rather surprised him that the Myanmar junta don't want to be buddies.

Decoding Thaksin’s letter of invitation to Myanmar’s ethnic groups

Even though there is no confirmation that the invitation letter sent to anti-junta ethnic groups in Myanmar by paroled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, offering himself as a mediator in the armed conflict in Myanmar, is an authentic draft, the last paragraph seems to give the impression that Thaksin wants it to be seen that he was invited to mediate.


The paragraph in question refers to Thaksin as a person who is “internationally praised and recognised as a mediator for peace in Myanmar”, according to Sunai Phasuk, Senior Researcher at Asia Division, Human Rights Watch.






In the meantime, former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen launched a parallel effort, by approaching both the junta in Myanmar and former state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for peace talks.


According to a political expert who talked to Thai PBS under condition of anonymity, there could soon be a meeting between Thaksin and Hun Sen, potentially towards the end of this month.


The ethnic groups, however, are sceptical about Thaksin’s move, wondering what they would have to concede in exchange for peace, at a time when they feel that they have the upper hand on the battle field, said Sunai.


Several questions were raised among the ethnic groups, such as whether Thaksin’s move was intended to buy time for the military junta or was approved by the Thai government or ASEAN, said Sunai.


Good intentions by Thaksin and Hun Sen aside, Sunai says that their approaches lack key elements of international protocol and the parties in the conflict are not cooperating with them.


Move Forward party-list MP Rangsiman Rome, meanwhile, expressed concern that Thaksin’s unofficial move, made in his personal capacity, may cause problems in the future, because it lacked the government’s consent.


As Thaksin is an influential figure, however, he said that any deal that the former prime minister might have struck with the anti-junta ethnic groups could end up being binding on the government, while the government is yet to fully assess the situation in Myanmar.


The Myanmar issue is complicated and sensitive, said Rangsiman, adding that Thaksin’s peace talk efforts could backfire on the government’s long-term role in ASEAN or the United Nations, which has designated Australia as mediator role in Myanmar.

Decoding Thaksin's letter of invitation to Myanmar's ethnic groups | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world