ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia

Myanmar Military and Some Rebel Groups Ready For Talks, Thai FM Says

ASEAN special envoy Ma. Theresa Lazaro held separate talks with military-backed negotiators and six rebel groups in Pattaya earlier this week.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaew (right) and Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe hold talks in Bangkok, Thailand, Jul. 14, 2026.

Myanmar’s military and some of its opponents are ready to engage in dialogue, recognizing that there is no military solution to the country’s current conflict, Thailand’s foreign minister said yesterday.

Sihasak Phuangketkaew’s comments came after he and Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, ASEAN’s current special envoy on Myanmar, held talks with military negotiators and a number of armed rebel groups in Thailand on Monday.

“We hope that eventually we could ​find some common ground where we can begin some ​talks,” Sihasak ⁠said yesterday, according to Reuters. “At the moment it is going to be probably talks for talks: How to conduct the talks, where to conduct the talks.”

The groups were open to dialogue but had yet to reach a common position, Sihasak said, but added that Thailand is ready to serve as a facilitator and provide a venue for future peace talks.

The discussion in Pattaya involved separate talks with the military-backed National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee, and six armed ethnic groups, including the Karen National ‌Union ⁠and the Karenni National Progressive Party, Reuters reported.

The meetings were held “to discuss the way forward on an inclusive national political dialogue”, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “All sides expressed openness to the dialogue process and emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue and ensuring careful preparation of all parties involved,” ‌it added.

Lazaro then held a separate online meeting with the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) yesterday, The Irrawaddy reported. The NUG said that it was not invited to the Pattaya meeting and expressed strong reservations about the gathering.

The talks in Pattaya came a day after ASEAN foreign ministers held an “informal” meeting in Bangkok with Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, the first to take place since the 2021 coup, which plunged the country into conflict and political chaos.

Since late 2021, ASEAN has barred Myanmar from its summits over the military’s........

© The Diplomat