Thailand hosts regional talks to find solutions to Myanmar's bloody civil war
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two days of meetings on Myanmar ’s violent political crisis began Thursday in the Thai capital Bangkok, the latest in a long series of regional talks that have made no headway in restoring peace to the war-torn Southeast Asian nation. The six nations attending Thursday’s meeting “agreed that direct engagement with Myanmar is critical and necessary,” said Thailand’s Maris. ” They said Myanmar Foreign Minister Than Swe informed them about the military government's political roadmap, focused on elections planned for next year. “Rather than ‘two-track’ diplomacy, Thailand is engaging in two-faced diplomacy - signing up to ASEAN statements seeking to condemn and isolate the junta, while at the same time quietly attempting to usher the junta back into the regional fold,” said Patrick Phongsathorn, senior advocacy specialist at Fortify Rights, a human rights group specializing in Myanmar affairs.