Thailand's bankrupt Myanmar policy

Myanmar refugees, who have fled a flare-up in fighting between the Myanmar army and insurgent groups, receive aid from Thailand on the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot, Tak province. (Photo: Reuters)

Few signboards foretell the global issues of our time better than what is addressed at the annual meetings of the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore. After a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, the most recent SLD covered the gamut on the main stage, from the United States-China geostrategic competition and military modernisation to security cooperation and climate change. The only anomalous single- and small-country focus in a special session was Myanmar.

The main reason Myanmar commands its own show is because so much is going wrong with the country. Myanmar is a four-layered conundrum.