Malaysia minister to seek clarity from Myanmar on election
Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war.
Last week, the junta lifted a nationwide state of emergency and nominally transferred power to a civilian-led government ahead of the election, although the junta chief remained in charge of the country in his other role as acting president.
"I want to obtain a clearer picture (of the elections) to bring to the attention of Asean leaders in October," Mohamad said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grouping, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
Mohamad, who will be accompanied by his counterparts from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia for the trip on Sept 19, wanted clarity on whether Myanmar would hold a comprehensive election, Bernama reported.
Myanmar state media has reported that martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships across nine regions and states, with voting to be held in December and January. Last month, Mohamad said Asean had agreed that an election in Myanmar was not a priority and urged the junta to adhere to the grouping's "five-point consensus" peace plan instead.
Myanmar is an Asean member, but its generals have been barred from attending the bloc's key meetings since 2022 for failing to honour the peace plan. Malaysia is the current chair of Asean. Myanmar's election has been dismissed by Western governments as a sham to entrench the generals' power and is expected to be dominated by proxies of the military, with opposition groups either barred from running or refusing to take part.
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Bangkok Post
a day ago
- Bangkok Post
Thais eye next GBC talks
Thailand is set to table proposals on landmine clearance and combating transnational crime at the forthcoming General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, which is expected to take place within the next month, according to Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit. Speaking to reporters on Friday after the GBC meeting held in Malaysia on Thursday, Gen Nattaphon also revealed that he had met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his visit. He said that both sides reaffirmed a shared commitment that Malaysia and Asean would refrain from intervening in bilateral matters between Thailand and Cambodia, instead taking the role of observers. "We have made it clear that the United States and China should also allow Asean to manage regional situations independently, without interference," he added, noting that Malaysia had given assurances in support of this approach. One notable achievement of the recent meeting, Gen Nattaphon said, was Cambodia's participation in bilateral discussions -- something they had previously declined. "This represents a key milestone we have achieved," he noted. However, he acknowledged public concerns regarding the trustworthiness of Cambodia in this process. "We will maintain our existing approach, which is to act with maturity, abide by international law, and rely on international consensus as the framework for engagement with Cambodia," he affirmed. Gen Nattaphon said Cambodia showed a cooperative attitude during the GBC secretariat-level meeting. However, some of Thailand's proposals -- including landmine clearance operations and joint action against online scam networks -- have yet to gain full acceptance from the Cambodian side. Similarly, Thailand has not agreed to some of Cambodia's counterproposals. When asked by reporters why Cambodia had not yet accepted Thailand's proposals on mine clearance cooperation and efforts to combat transnational crime, Gen Nattaphon explained that no official reasons were given. However, he indicated that Cambodia likely still views landmines as part of its national defence strategy. "I have the sense that their reluctance stems from a lack of trust in us," he said. "That's why I've emphasised how challenging these secretariat-level negotiations have been. Cambodia doesn't fully trust Thailand, and Thailand doesn't fully trust Cambodia either. So, when it comes to reaching an agreement, you in the media can imagine just how difficult that is. These are not ordinary conversations." He praised the work of the committee secretariat, acknowledging the complexity of the negotiations: "I sincerely commend and thank our secretariat team, who managed to push through our proposals and reach a balanced outcome given the circumstances." When asked how Thailand plans to proceed with the proposals at future forums, Gen Nattaphon said that the two key issues -- mine clearance cooperation and tackling transnational crime -- will continue to be raised at every opportunity. "These matters will be brought up repeatedly until they are accepted," he said, adding that both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to schedule the next GBC meeting within one month of Aug 7, though the venue is still under discussion.
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Malaysia minister to seek clarity from Myanmar on election
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan will seek details from Myanmar's military leadership about a planned election when he leads a four-nation delegation to the war-torn country next month, Malaysian state media reported on Friday. Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war. Last week, the junta lifted a nationwide state of emergency and nominally transferred power to a civilian-led government ahead of the election, although the junta chief remained in charge of the country in his other role as acting president. "I want to obtain a clearer picture (of the elections) to bring to the attention of Asean leaders in October," Mohamad said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grouping, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported. Mohamad, who will be accompanied by his counterparts from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia for the trip on Sept 19, wanted clarity on whether Myanmar would hold a comprehensive election, Bernama reported. Myanmar state media has reported that martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships across nine regions and states, with voting to be held in December and January. Last month, Mohamad said Asean had agreed that an election in Myanmar was not a priority and urged the junta to adhere to the grouping's "five-point consensus" peace plan instead. Myanmar is an Asean member, but its generals have been barred from attending the bloc's key meetings since 2022 for failing to honour the peace plan. Malaysia is the current chair of Asean. Myanmar's election has been dismissed by Western governments as a sham to entrench the generals' power and is expected to be dominated by proxies of the military, with opposition groups either barred from running or refusing to take part.
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Rivals to honour truce deal
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to uphold the ceasefire and maintain current troop positions along their shared border, according to Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit yesterday. The announcement followed an emergency session of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC), held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. Gen Nattaphon, who led the Thai delegation in the talks, described the discussions as cordial and constructive. He said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the outcome of the discussion, calling it a "significant step forward". While Mr Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to act as a facilitator for dialogues between the two countries, he said the matter should ultimately be resolved bilaterally, with Asean acting in a supporting role, the deputy defence minister said. Gen Nattaphon said the emergency session was meant to follow up on the discussions held on July 28, when both countries first agreed on a ceasefire. He insisted that Thailand has always abided by the terms of the ceasefire, which came into effect at midnight on July 28. In the meeting, the Thai delegation expressed its concern over the ongoing build-up of Cambodian forces along the border and the reported sighting of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) coming from Cambodian territory. He said that the Cambodian delegation expressed genuine intent to honour the ceasefire and claimed the violations may have been the result of decisions made by field personnel. According to Gen Nattaphon, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to a comprehensive ceasefire covering all types of weaponry. Military forces shall remain at their positions as of July 28, with no additional reinforcements permitted. A temporary observer team will be established, comprising Asean defence attachés based in Thailand and Cambodia, led by Malaysia. The observers will regularly monitor the area without crossing the border, working with the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and GBC in both countries to ensure that the ceasefire is respected. Both parties agreed to avoid military provocations and the dissemination of false information in order to maintain a constructive environment conducive to peaceful negotiations. Both sides pledged to strictly observe international agreements, particularly on the immediate repatriation of deceased personnel and the prompt return of prisoners of war following the complete cessation of hostilities, in line with the Third Geneva Convention. Existing bilateral mechanisms will be maintained to prevent further escalation. An RBC meeting is scheduled within two weeks, with another GBC session to follow in one month to review the implementation of agreements, he said. While both sides have expressed their commitment to respect the ceasefire, there are several issues which weren't discussed at the emergency session that Gen Nattaphon said will be brought up in the next GBC meeting. These include the plan to jointly demine disputed areas, and ways to stop cross-border crimes, in particular, scams carried out by criminal networks operating along the border. Gen Nattaphon said that the success of the agreement will depend on sincere cooperation from both nations. "Thailand is committed to acting in good faith, with honesty and a spirit of true neighbourliness. We hope Cambodia will do the same." Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, meanwhile, dismissed a call by Cambodia's Senate President, Hun Sen, on Thailand to stop deploying F-16 jets in the conflict, and on the international community to stop selling combat aircraft to the Thai government.
