JAKARTA: Southeast Asian neighbours of conflict-riven Myanmar must consider imposing measures to hold its military rulers accountable, a United Nations expert said on Wednesday, adding the bloc is “deadlocked” over how to resolve the ongoing crisis.
The international community also must reassess its fundamental approach to the crisis in Myanmar, said Thomas Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), he said, must not engage with Myanmar’s military leaders as there had been no progress in implementing a five-point peace plan agreed between the bloc and the junta after it seized power in a 2021 coup.
His view appears at odds with that of Thailand’s caretaker foreign minister, Don Pramudwinai, who spearheaded informal talks with junta representatives in Pattaya on Monday and said participants were keen to engage in more such discussions.
The warning from the UN also comes as the United States plans to impose new restrictions to cut off finances to Myanmar’s military junta, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
“It is time to consider alternative options to break what has become a deadly stalemate,” Mr Andrews said at a news conference in Jakarta. “Asean must consider measures to impose accountability on the junta for its grave human rights violations and blatant disregard for implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.”
The peace plan calls for an immediate halt in hostilities, safe humanitarian access, and inclusive dialogue to achieve peace in the strife-torn country.
In November, an Asean leaders’ summit issued a warning to the junta and concluded a need for “concrete, practical and measurable indicators with a specific timeline.” But frustration has grown over a lack of progress and the junta’s stepped-up attacks on opponents.
The Pattaya gathering of regional diplomats, arranged by the outgoing caretaker government, was aimed at re-engaging junta leaders, who have been barred from high-level Asean meetings.
The meeting was shunned by key Asean countries, including chair Indonesia, which has led behind-the-scenes efforts to bring the military and its opponents together for dialogue.
Mr Andrews said the meeting “can have the dangerous effect of legitimising the junta and undermining Asean unity”.
Representatives from seven countries, including China and India, attended Monday’s meeting. Along with Thailand, both also share a border with Myanmar.
Mr Don insisted the talks were useful, but he drew widespread criticism for organising them given that the caretaker government only has a few weeks left.
“The discussion was organised in the best interests of Thailand, but everyone overlooks this and takes the view that only Asean should take the lead on this matter,” he said.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the presumptive next prime minister, said his party is committed to addressing problems related to Myanmar.
The MFP-led coalition plans to create a Myanmar Inter-Agency Task Force under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office to coordinate multi-pronged efforts and resolutions, he said in a recent post on Twitter.
Banking sanctions
Meanwhile, Washington is reportedly ready to announce new sanctions on Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank, Thai media reports said.
One local media report said the banking sanctions could affect Thailand and other countries in the region financially because of connections with local banks.
The US embassy in Thailand said it had regular conversations with the Thai government on Myanmar including how to “mitigate the potential impact of any sanctions on Thailand or other countries”.
The embassy also said that Washington “continues to look for ways to promote accountability for the coup and related violence, including efforts to block revenue to the regime”.
“Our goal in these designations is to constrain the regime’s access to US dollars and to promote accountability for the regime as it continues committing horrific acts of violence.”
A spokesman for Myanmar’s military junta said it was not worried about any new sanctions.
Zaw Min Tun told the state media channel MWD on Tuesday evening that the country has experienced sanctions before and they will not face losses if there are new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks.
He said the United States was “just doing this to cause difficulties in economics and politics”.
“These kinds of things will cause unnecessary delays while we walk towards the multi-party democratic system.”
