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. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementSpeaking 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. 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.