Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers will meet in Thailand on December 20 for talks to seek ways to resolve the Myanmar civil war that has engulfed most of the Southeast Asian countries since the military coup of February 2021.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain will join the meeting, according to Foreign Ministry sources.
"Initially, Bangladesh, India, China, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia will have a meeting among themselves first on what's happening in Myanmar, after that, the other ASEAN members will join in another round of discussion," a Foreign office official said.
Myanmar or the Burmese Civil War is an ongoing civil war since 2021. It began following Myanmar's long insurgencies among the ethnic groups-Muslims and different groups of Buddhists which has escalated when the military took over the charge in 2021.
Myanmar's importance to India increased markedly following the launch of India's new "Act East" policy in 2014. From a security perspective, Myanmar is very critical to maintaining stability in Northeast India (NEI). The four states of NEI-Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland-share a common border of 1,643 km with Myanmar. Myanmar is also critical to limiting the influence of Naga insurgency. The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is India's flagship investment programme in Myanmar. It's a US$ 484 million project.
India and China's growing presence in Rakhine, which is barely 150km from Chittagong, Bangladesh is changing the region's economic and geo-political maps very rapidly.
Beijing has invested at least USD 15 billion in Myanmar. Under the aegis of "Yunnan International Passage," the local government has developed roads and highways leading to Myanmar.
Although Bangladesh has no engagement with Myanmar but Bangladesh bears the brunt of the refugee problem as 1.7 milion Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh since 2017 and spends around $80 billion to meet the expenses of Rohingya those taking shelter at Cox's Bazar following the Myanmar Army crackdown in Rakhine State.
As of October 2023, Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, controlled about 40 per cent of the country, although they maintained that they controlled around two-thirds of the country's 330 townships. In the second half of 2023, Chinland Defense Forces in Chin State had captured a majority of the state, with a few holdouts in urban areas and along the India-Myanmar border remaining, according to media reports.
"China makes more concerted efforts to shape the trajectory of the conflict. The current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), had invited the bloc's foreign ministers to attend a meeting in Bangkok on December 20," the Jakarta Globe reports.
"The talks will start with an informal meeting between members of the ASEAN troika alliance, which includes current chair Laos as well as Indonesia and Malaysia, the bloc's last and next chairs, respectively," it stated.
"So the troika will have a meeting among themselves first on what's happening in Myanmar," he said. "After that, the other ASEAN members will join them in another round of discussion."
"Bangladesh also has a key role in Rakhine State, as do other outside actors. The emergence on its border of a de facto state let that aspires to permanent autonomy will require the new interim government in Dhaka to expand the scope of its engagement with the Arakan Army, whatever its views of those ambitions. While strengthening ties with the group, Bangladeshi envoys should emphasise the importance of treating the Rohingya humanely and with dignity," a diplomat said.
Meanwhile, Dr Khalilur Rahman, High Representative on the Rohingya Crisis and Matters of Priority to the Chief Adviser, said on Friday that Bangladesh would not take any hasty steps regarding the Rohingya issue without a proper assessment of the emerging situation in Rakhine State in Myanmar.
"We're keeping watch on the emerging situation in Rakhine… We don't want to do anything hastily. We'll not take any steps without deep consideration," he said.
Nowadays, the other foreign governments have trying to explore how they can work with the Arakan Army and neighbouring states to improve humanitarian access and expand assistance for all ethnic communities affected by conflict in central and northern Rakhine State. Thus they could be able to come out from the affects of the civil war, said political analysts who watch the present situation in Myanmar.
