ASEAN cannot stay neutral on everything, Thai minister says
Sihasak Phuangketkeow says the bloc must balance major powers while handling energy, food and crisis challenges. He will travel to Myanmar later this week.
Key points
- Thailand's foreign minister says ASEAN will avoid taking sides but cannot always stay neutral
- He named China and the United States as major powers the bloc must manage
- Sihasak will visit Myanmar on 12 November to press for de-escalation
- Myanmar remains largely excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings since 2021
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must keep making decisions based on its own interests, according to Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. His remarks came during the ISEAS Roundtable on 5 November, when CNA put questions to him, as the regional bloc faces rising rivalry between major powers.
Sihasak said ASEAN will keep away from picking sides, yet he admitted that staying neutral has limits. In his view, the bloc has to make choices that fit its interests. He stressed that members must stay united while dealing with China and the United States, and keep room to work with all partners.
Calls for a faster, more capable bloc
Sihasak also pointed to wider problems in the region. These include armed conflict, economic uncertainty and fast global change. He said the conflict in the Middle East had shown why ASEAN needs stronger tools for energy and food security. He named petroleum security arrangements and emergency rice reserves as mechanisms that should be reinforced.
He also backed longer-term projects such as the ASEAN Power Grid. According to him, the bloc should widen regional power links and use more clean and renewable energy. He argued that ASEAN must be able to act more quickly in a crisis and reach timely decisions, because the challenges now arrive together.
Centrality and the wider region
On ASEAN centrality, Sihasak said the concept starts with keeping peace inside Southeast Asia. It also means helping to maintain stability across the wider Indo-Pacific. He expressed hope that Washington and Beijing would work to steady their relationship, which he described as highly important for the region and the world.
Myanmar and the path back to the bloc
Sihasak is due to travel to Myanmar on Thursday, 12 November. His aim is to push for an end to escalation in the country’s ongoing civil war. He will also assess whether the military government is ready to re-engage with ASEAN before the summit in Manila, which runs from 15 to 18 November.
Since the 2021 coup, the military government has been largely shut out of the bloc’s top meetings, because the leadership opted to send only apolitical delegates to those sessions. The exclusion followed the failure to carry out the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed that year. The plan calls for an immediate halt to violence, dialogue, a special envoy, humanitarian aid through the AHA Centre, and visits by the envoy to meet all sides.
In February, Sihasak called for a calibrated re-engagement after informal talks with his Myanmar counterpart, Than Swe, in Phuket. That move drew criticism from those who said Thailand was helping to normalise the military regime. Asked about a possible return to top-level meetings before Thailand takes the ASEAN chair from Singapore in 2028, he said it was too early to judge. He said the outcome depends on how the situation in Myanmar develops and on a collective decision by member states.
Sihasak said the goal is to bring Myanmar back into the bloc, but added that Myanmar must work hard to regain its place. He also stressed that the decision does not belong to Thailand alone. He plans to carry this message to Naypyidaw and to hope for progress on the Five-Point Consensus.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Myanmar excluded from ASEAN high-level meetings?
After the 2021 coup, the blocu0026#039;s leaders opted to admit only apolitical envoys to high-level sessions. The move followed the lack of progress on the blocu0026#039;s Five-Point Consensus, according to CNA.
When is the ASEAN Summit in Manila?
The ASEAN Summit in Manila is scheduled from 15 to 18 November. Thailandu0026#039;s foreign minister will visit Myanmar before the meeting.
Will Myanmar return to ASEAN high-level meetings soon?
Sihasak said it is still too early to determine this. He said the outcome depends on developments in Myanmar and a collective ASEAN decision.
Sources
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