In an unusually frank comment that will undoubtedly embarrass the Myanmar military junta leadership, who are fond of portraying themselves as the guardians of their country, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Sunday the Myanmar military regime is weakening.
“The current regime is starting to lose some strength,” Srettha said to Reuters in an interview on Sunday, referring to the junta that seized power from Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021.
The comment is a reality check for the junta, coming from the prime minister of an immediate neighbor that has been seen as close to Myanmar’s military leadership, and which prizes stability above all, as it shares a long border with Myanmar and is a major trade partner. Furthermore, the comment highlights the reality of the situation the junta is facing on the ground after more than three years of nationwide resistance that has sworn to uproot the military dictatorship.
Since the coup, Myanmar has been convulsed by a nationwide armed struggle against the regime with a majority of the people denouncing the takeover and supportive of a resistance that seeks to topple the regime by any means. The junta never took full control of the country, and has recently lost many military bases, outposts, towns and border trade routes in the country’s north, northeast, west and south to anti-regime ethnic armed groups and allied resistance forces. Shortly before Srettha made his comments, Karen ethnic armed groups and allied resistance forces attacked Myawaddy town, a major trading hub on the Thai border, seizing key army bases.
The Thai prime minister followed up his blunt assessment with words of caution, adding, “Even if they are losing, they have the power, they have the weapons.”
“Maybe it’s time to reach out [to the junta] and make a deal” that would lead to peace, he said.
Thailand has been pursuing solutions to the Myanmar crisis on multiple fronts.
Among other efforts, it recently delivered aid to displaced people near the border, trying to pave
the way for talks between warring camps.
Srettha said Myanmar was very important for Thailand and he and other Thai officials have been talking to various stakeholders in Myanmar as well as international partners including China and the US.
“The country that stands to gain most if Myanmar becomes unified, peaceful and prosperous is Thailand,” he said.
On Tuesday, Srettha and high-level Thai officials met at Government House for an emergency meeting to discuss Myanmar issues. Thai media reported that it was agreed at the meeting that Thailand would coordinate and promote cooperation from all sectors to achieve peace and stability in the neighboring country as soon as possible.
The meeting followed the Thai government’s confirmation on Monday that it had granted a request from the junta to land three flights in the Thai border town of Mae Sot to evacuate officials and their families fleeing Myawaddy after rebel forces tried to seize control of the town.
Thanawat Sirikul, deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing on Monday that an aircraft from Myanmar landed at Mae Sot airport on Sunday night to airlift Myanmar officials to safety, and left Thailand the same day, adding that the regime later canceled additional flights. However, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said on Tuesday that the plane carried only official documents.
During the meeting on Tuesday the prime minister said the situation in Myanmar was very important to Thailand, and that the aim of his government’s policy was to achieve peace and stability in Myanmar for the benefit of the people of both countries.
“The prime minister is concerned that the situation will get worse,” Parnpree told the media after the meeting, adding that Thailand is prepared to accept 100,000 people fleeing Myanmar.