Bangkok – Thailand has slightly hardened its language on Myanmar by saying it is “gravely concerned” about escalating bloodshed since a Feb. 1 coup, but close military ties and fears of a flood of refugees mean it is unlikely to go further, analysts say.
That leaves Thailand out of step with some countries of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as they seek to ramp up pressure on the junta, but could also position it as a possible mediator.
“(Thailand’s position) is difficult, but I think there is an opportunity because we’ve become an important partner,” said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.
The closeness of the Thai and Myanmar armies was underscored by a request from Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to “support democracy” within days…
