Karen civil society organizations around the world issued an open letter on April 21, urging Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, to cancel his planned trip to Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, where he was due to meet junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

According to Thai media agencies, Sihasak was scheduled to visit Naypyidaw on April 22 to meet the coup leader and discuss bilateral relations.

In the open letter dated April 21, Karen organizations expressed concern that the visit could be seen as conferring legitimacy on the junta, which seized power through illegitimate means.

Karen organizations urged Sihasak to reconsider his planned trip to Naypyidaw and, if the visit could not be cancelled, to use the opportunity to exert strong pressure on the junta to comply with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s five-point consensus for resolving the Myanmar crisis, including an end to violence against the Myanmar people.

The five-point consensus was first adopted by ASEAN member states, including Thailand, in April 2021, but the junta has failed to comply and has continued to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, the letter stated. It also noted that Myanmar people continue to suffer daily under the coup regime’s violent repression, oppression, torture, and economic and financial restrictions.

The junta’s attacks also affected areas along the Thai-Myanmar border, injuring civilians and damaging homes, underscoring the indiscriminate and destabilizing nature of its operations, Karen organizations pointed out.

Rather than engaging with the junta, which has brought suffering to people in both countries, the letter suggested that Thailand would gain stronger guarantees of security and stability by coordinating with Karen and Karenni resistance forces along the border.

The full list of Karen organizations that delivered the open letter to Sihasak was not disclosed.

Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing assumed the presidency following a sham election. Both before and after taking on the role, he has met with representatives from China, Russia, and some ASEAN countries. However, analysts said few countries have engaged with him through formal state visits or other ceremonial gestures that could be interpreted as recognising him as head of state.