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Key ASEAN members skip Thai-hosted Myanmar talks amid criticism

13 Sept 21:54 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's caretaker government hosted informal peace talks with Myanmar's ruling junta, drawing sharp criticism and a significant boycott from key ASEAN member states.
Major ASEAN nations, including current chair Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, declined the invitation, citing concerns about legitimizing the junta and the prematurity of re-engagement.
Critics argue Thailand's initiative undermines the official ASEAN 'five-point consensus' peace plan and is ill-timed, especially with Thailand's own government transition pending.
Thailand defended the talks as a complementary effort to maintain interaction with Myanmar amidst escalating internal conflict and the junta's proposed election roadmap.
Myanmar's opposition and activist groups strongly condemned the 'secretive initiative,' asserting it contradicts ASEAN policy and will not contribute to resolving the country's political crisis.

Today 14:58 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's government will launch the "Chainat-Pasak-Gulf" water diversion canal project in fiscal year 2027, a seven-year mega-infrastructure initiative.
This permanent structural solution aims to mitigate recurrent central plains flooding by diverting water from the Chao Phraya River directly into the Gulf of Thailand, significantly reducing flow to major cities like Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul justifies the long-term investment as a means to reduce future damages and fiscal burdens, contrasting it with the 40-50 billion baht spent annually on short-term flood relief.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister instructed officials to expand drainage capacity into the Tha Chin River and swiftly remove water hyacinths to improve immediate flood management.