Region must not abandon MyanmarMembers of Myanmar's Union Election commission (UEC) count ballots last month in the third phase of Myanmar's general election in Yangon. It was then that Barack Obama made a historic first and, so far, only visit by a sitting US president to Myanmar. The US ended humanitarian aid to Myanmar when President Donald Trump eliminated the Agency for International Development upon his return to power. The degree to which political entities in Myanmar fund themselves through the production of meth and fentanyl will continue to create legions of addicts in Thailand and throughout the region. Asean participants have historically seemed divided between isolation and engagement when it comes to Myanmar, so neither approach has been adopted wholeheartedly.

Source: Bangkok Post February 16, 2026 00:21 UTC