Thailand attends ‘Board of Peace’ meeting as observer, Foreign Ministry clarifies flag display

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that, following observations that an image of the Thai national flag appeared behind the seating rows at the “Board of Peace” meeting, it would like to clarify that it assigned Suriya Chindawongse, Thailand’s Ambassador to Washington, D.C., to attend the meeting as an observer. The host of the meeting displayed images of the national flags of all countries participating in the meeting on the backdrop, whether they attended as members or as observers.

Meanwhile, Nikkei Asia reported that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party and Vietnam’s top leader, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet attended President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for its first official meeting on Thursday (February 19) in Washington. It added that Thailand and the Philippines—two US treaty allies in Southeast Asia—along with Malaysia, one of the first countries in the region to sign a trade agreement with the Trump administration, did not attend.

The committee discussed the reconstruction of Gaza and announced more than US$5 billion in aid, though few believe its mission will stop at Gaza.

Different reactions from Southeast Asian countries reflect differing interpretations of Trump’s new platform, and, more broadly, how each country views Trump’s idea that the post-World War II rules-based world order is fading.

Analysts said that for ambitious countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, this offers an opportunity for easier access to the White House. On the other hand, it also implies accepting a world in which relationships are shaped more by power and direct negotiation than by rules and shared agreements.

Looking at Vietnam’s delegation underscores how seriously To Lam is treating this moment. In addition to the Communist Party chief himself, the delegation reportedly included the ministers of defence, public security, foreign affairs and finance, the (acting) minister of industry and trade, and the central bank governor.

Vietnamese state media reported that To Lam’s participation in the first meeting “reflects Vietnam’s support and readiness to join efforts for peace and development of the international community.” It added that it was “another important step” towards making the Vietnam-US comprehensive strategic partnership a reality, referring to ties that were upgraded in 2023.

Gregory Poling, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, was quoted as saying the Board of Peace largely comprises middle powers that are not US treaty allies, and that for the Philippines and Thailand, “there is no benefit” in joining.

In broader terms, Poling said Southeast Asian governments are uneasy about the erosion of the post-World War II rules-based order and uneasy that the Board of Peace could overshadow the United Nations, given that the region’s economies have grown rapidly under the existing system. “They have no interest in an international system where those with more power decide what is right,” he concluded.

Elina Noor, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace based in Singapore, said that while the plan was presented as a special offer for members with many benefits, the committee is, in reality, a group that has granted itself authority to rebuild Gaza without accountability for the damage caused.

This may be one key reason Malaysia—an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions—has not become involved with the Board of Peace. By contrast, Indonesia and Vietnam see an opportunity to elevate their roles as emerging middle powers.

Prabowo arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington on Tuesday (February 17), accompanied by the minister of energy and mineral resources, the minister for the economy, and the investment minister. Beyond attending the Board of Peace meeting, Prabowo is expected to meet Trump, and a trade agreement is likely to be approved.

“We see Indonesia is close to finalising a reciprocal trade agreement,” said Brian McFeeters, acting president and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council.

The agreement comes after those Trump signed in October with Malaysia and Cambodia, which required Southeast Asian allies to adopt export controls, sanctions and fees aligned with the United States in exchange for Washington’s “reduced retaliatory tariffs”. These conditions are expected to be closely watched in Indonesia’s case.

“The most interesting is the non-tariff barriers,” McFeeters, a former US ambassador to Malaysia, said. “In Indonesia, the biggest non-tariff barrier is local content requirements. If I want to produce a high-tech product in Indonesia, I have to show that 40% or 50% of it comes from Indonesia, which is very difficult for many products and does not make economic sense.”