Thailand's foreign minister said Thursday that he hoped Myanmar's recent election would be the "start of a transition" that could ultimately lead to a sustainable peace in the civil war-torn country.
Myanmar's pro-military party declared victory Monday in junta-run elections widely labelled a "sham" by rights groups.
Critics say the poll was stacked with army allies to prolong its grip on power after a 2021 coup that saw massively popular democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi detained and her party dissolved.
Speaking on the sidelines of an ASEAN retreat in the central Philippines, Thailand's foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he hoped the polls might be a precursor to a sustainable peace.
"It's not a perfect election, but we hope that it will be the start of the transition," he told reporters.
"We have not made any pronouncements on the elections," he said, adding observers sent to Myanmar for the poll would remain in place for three more months.
"For most of us, especially Thailand, the position is we hope they will continue after the election with dialogue, reconciliation and (the) peace process, so we will have a sustainable solution, a sustainable peace."
Foreign ministers from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations had huddled a day earlier in a two-hour meeting devoted to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
ASEAN's efforts to defuse Myanmar's ongoing civil war have centred around a five-point plan that Myanmar agreed to in 2021 but has borne little fruit.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last month that ASEAN would avoid actions that might "confer premature legitimacy" to any party after Myanmar's pro-military party claimed an overwhelming victory in the election's first phase.
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...EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT TO NOON
CST SATURDAY...
...EXTREME COLD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
ranging from just below zero to single digits above zero are
expected. For the Extreme Cold Watch, dangerously cold wind chills
as low as 2 above possible.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Shelby,
St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, from midnight Friday Night to
noon CST Saturday. For the Extreme Cold Watch, from Saturday
afternoon through Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin
is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of
subfreezing temperatures could cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
If you do not have heat in your home or lack shelter, you can call
211 or visit 211connectsalabama.org for assistance locating
appropriate shelter from the cold.
&&
...EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT TO NOON
CST SATURDAY...
...EXTREME COLD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
ranging from just below zero to single digits above zero are
expected. For the Extreme Cold Watch, dangerously cold wind chills
as low as 2 above possible.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Shelby,
St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, from midnight Friday Night to
noon CST Saturday. For the Extreme Cold Watch, from Saturday
afternoon through Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS...Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin
is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of
subfreezing temperatures could cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
If you do not have heat in your home or lack shelter, you can call
211 or visit 211connectsalabama.org for assistance locating
appropriate shelter from the cold.
&&
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