Myanmar’s warm retouching in Lancang-Mekong region
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - Nov 18
The calm after the storm
Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing held an official visit to China for five days last week. It was the first official visit of the Senior General to China after the 2021 political transition. The trip has brought constructive outlooks and assistance for Myanmar in fixing disorders not only in its internal affairs, as well as in the sub-regional and international realms.
The Southeast Asian country – Myanmar – sits at the intersection between South Asia and East Asia, on the bank of the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean with close proximity to the Malacca Strait, and positioned as an adjacent friendly neighbour to the rising China, has faced many challenges, threats, menaces, pressures and intimidations with high momentum in the past three years, especially in 2023.
The country’s existence and diplomatic relations in the region were dull, especially with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Since 2021, the ASEAN has behaved discriminating manner against Myanmar by accusing it of overthrowing the elected officials, condemning the State of Emergency as a military coup. In fact, Myanmar’s political conflicts were rooted in the 2020 electoral dispute, in which the National League for Democracy government committed vote rigging and electoral fraud. Under the state of emergency situations in Myanmar, the ASEAN indirectly overruled the member in managing its own internal crisis beyond the ASEAN framework.
Clause 2 of Chapter 2 of the ASEAN Charter states: “Respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all ASEAN member states.”
Notwithstanding, the ASEAN refused the right of participation of Myanmar in regional affairs through the ASEAN summits despite recognition of non-interference in its Charter. The ASEAN banned Myanmar’s official representative to attend the conferences in the earlier three years consecutively; except in 2024 after the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Myanmar in mid-August.
Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi drew three bottom lines that should be adhered to with regard to the Myanmar issue– no external party should interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs, Myanmar should not be detached from the ASEAN, and should not be subject to civil strife. He made these remarks during an informal discussion between the foreign ministers of China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar in Chiang Mai in August.
Before it, there were ambiguities and smokescreens in Myanmar’s ongoing crisis. There were portrayals that ignited and tried to infect the ever-friendly relationship between Myanmar and China aiming to split apart the unity of two nations.
A visit that brings hope to fix wrecks
Now, Myanmar’s contribution to the regional bloc has recently backed to the splendid stance. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the 8th Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit, the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) Summit in China. The Chinese government invited him to attend the abovementioned meetings.
These Chinese-hosted regional talks in 2024 have boosted regional cooperation and ties, particularly for Myanmar in this hardship and dilemma, especially in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region. Senior General held bilateral talks and met with his counterparts from Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos in addition to meeting with the Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Chinese assistance in paving the way for resolving political and military crises was discussed.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also exchanged views and conversed about regional cooperation with the respective country during his visit. He highlighted regional stability, economic cooperation, and labour affairs when he met with the Thailand counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra since Thailand is one of Myanmar’s adjacent neighbours in the region; many armed insurgents taking bases in the areas located on the Myanmar-Thailand borderline.
Lancang-Mekong: A friendly sub-region for Myanmar
At present, the LMC sub-region has been vested in infrastructures, railways and development projects funded by China. On the other hand, the ACMECS – Thailand-oriented cooperation – tries to cover the areas in trade and investment facilitation, agricultural, industrial and energy collaboration, and tourism cooperation.
Therefore, it is expected that strategic projects in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region can bind the Chinese-centered Belt and Road projects and the ACMECS Thailand-oriented progress which will lead the region to a stunning existence in East Asia. What is more, Myanmar’s U-turned underdevelopment gap in the region is also hoped to be narrow.
“China and Thailand are the most important neighbours in the region for Myanmar. We have to try to achieve the integrated benefits from the LMC and the ACMECS in the development matters. Now, we (Myanmar) have returned with a warm welcome in the Mekong territory,” U Khin Maung Zaw, Joint Secretary of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, remarked on the Senior General’s China trip.
He added, “The ASEAN which isolated Myanmar seems to be standing still in the distance.”