A assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) air drive leaders, chaired by Myanmar, is at present underway with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in attendance. The conference in Nay Pyi Taw sees the participation of ACM Alongkorn Wannarot, the RTAF commander, alongside air force leaders from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei, in accordance with a report by activist group Justice for Myanmar.
However, several Southeast Asian counterparts, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, have opted to boycott the event due to it being held and led by the military junta of Myanmar. Singapore additionally avoided sending a representative.
These four ASEAN nations previously expressed robust demands for Myanmar’s navy junta to cease violence in opposition to its residents and adhere to an ASEAN peace plan agreed upon in 2021, which has since been ignored.
Myanmar has been sidelined from most high-level ASEAN meetings, including the leaders’ summit, for the past two years, the report acknowledged.
Deputy Defence Secretary Maung Maung Swe of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government expressed approval of the boycotts, stating they mirror the growing isolation the junta has been experiencing since the coup in February 2021.
Despite the boycotts, the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference will proceed until Friday, focusing predominantly on environmental issues. Myanmar’s air drive chief, ACM Htun Aung, announced this year’s theme as Asian Air Forces’ Cooperation for a Sustainable Environment.
The RTAF declared its intention to collaborate with its ASEAN friends to curb carbon emissions and air air pollution to safeguard the environment. The consequences of air air pollution, largely as a outcome of ultra-fine dust originating from agricultural burning, have been felt throughout the area. To fight this, the RTAF has developed a rainmaking squad.
ACM Alongkorn extended an invitation to the ASEAN Air Force chiefs on the assembly to take part within the ASEAN HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) Exercise 2025 in Thailand. This initiative aims to enhance their collective capability to reply to natural disasters. The 2024 Asian Air Chiefs Conference shall be hosted by Cambodia. Authority reported..