Philippines dismisses SAC-M’s criticism over engagement with Myanmar junta

The Philippine government has dismissed strong criticisms from the ASEAN Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) that its meeting with Myanmar junta-appointed Foreign Minister Than Swe would undermine peace efforts, stating it was acting in line with ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. The Philippines, as ASEAN chair this year, hosted an informal meeting with Myanmar junta’s Foreign Minister Than Swe in Bangkok on July 12, the first such engagement since the 2021 military coup. Regarding this meeting, the ASEAN Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) criticized ASEAN’s action as rewarding the junta’s atrocities and undermining the Five-Point Consensus. SAC-M accused the ASEAN special envoy, Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr., of making a reckless and wrong decision by meeting the Myanmar junta without demanding anything from them. In response to these accusations, Locsin defended himself, stating that SAC-M’s remarks were disingenuous and misleading, and that the engagement was aimed at fostering dialogue based on an inclusive framework. It was stated that the meeting did not abandon the Five-Point Consensus and that it continues to be the main guideline for resolving Myanmar’s political crisis. ASEAN has banned top leaders of the Myanmar military from attending summit meetings since late 2021. Despite the Myanmar military’s continued airstrikes and the junta’s rejection of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, ASEAN has resumed some engagement with the junta in recent months. Some member states, such as Thailand, want to bring Myanmar back into the ASEAN family, and many ASEAN member states are less inclined to take a hard line on Myanmar. Discussions on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus are expected to continue at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in the Philippines next week.