Philippines' failure on Myanmar issue is a significant challenge for ASEAN, SAC-M members say

Mizzima Former Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, former Thai Foreign Minister Khun Kasit Piromya, and three former UN experts on Myanmar stated on July 18 that the Philippines' handling of the Myanmar issue during its ASEAN chairmanship has become a very important challenge for ASEAN. The statement was jointly issued by former Malaysian Foreign Minister and current Member of Parliament Dato Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, former Thai Foreign Minister Khun Kasit Piromya, and the founders of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), former UN experts Mazlan Darusman, Yanghee Lee, and Chris Sidoti. The statement strongly criticized Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro for adopting an approach that combines "lack of courage and misjudgment" in her role as ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy on Myanmar. They stated that Lazaro's agreement to hold an informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting on July 12 in Thailand, which included the "Foreign Minister" of the Myanmar military junta, amounted to rewarding the junta for its bloodshed and non-compliance. The statement said that Lazaro, the Philippines' highest-ranking diplomat, did not receive any concessions from the junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of war crimes, when agreeing to the meeting. It also noted that during the short period of the meeting, there was no demand for the junta to cease its atrocities against civilians. According to reports from the Karen Peace Support Network, the statement included that four people, including an eight-year-old boy, were injured in airstrikes by the Myanmar military junta targeting Mutraw District in Karen State on July 12. They criticized that even five years after the emergence of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC), ASEAN continues to face blatant disregard from the junta for its interventions to resolve the Myanmar crisis, and is further adding to its self-inflicted embarrassments. The statement said that the Bangkok meeting marked the end of the ban on high-level engagement with senior officials of the Myanmar military junta, which had been in place since 2021. That ban was an action taken after Min Aung Hlaing failed to comply shortly after agreeing to ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus. The statement also noted that Malaysia, which sought to build communication bridges with legitimate stakeholders in Myanmar during its ASEAN chairmanship last year, sent only a low-ranking official to that meeting. It was also stated that Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan emphasized the importance of the 5PC and the need for "visible progress" from the Myanmar junta, mindful of Singapore's upcoming role as ASEAN Chair next year. The statement noted that the world is watching with concern the internal divisions within ASEAN regarding the Myanmar issue. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council, in a new resolution on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, expressed deep concern over the Myanmar junta's lack of progress in implementing the 5PC. Furthermore, the statement said that the Council urged ASEAN to engage in discussions with a broad range of stakeholders, including the National Unity Government, ethnic organizations, civil society organizations, affected populations, Rohingya, and other minorities. They urged ASEAN Foreign Ministers to use the upcoming meeting in Manila from July 20 to 22 to control the damage they have caused themselves and to salvage ASEAN's deteriorating reputation. The statement said that ASEAN should immediately reinstate the complete ban on engagement with senior officials of the Myanmar military junta and demand the full and immediate implementation of the 5PC. This should include an end to all violence by the junta, the unconditional release of all political prisoners, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need. The statement also urged ASEAN to quickly create a new framework for action with clear end goals, as the new "parliament" representing the Myanmar military junta has rejected the 5PC. That framework should include escalating consequences if the junta continues to fail to comply with the 5PC. They said that ASEAN Foreign Ministers should hold continuous official consultations with Myanmar's legitimate democratic stakeholders, as they have stated their commitment to help bring about a peaceful resolution based on the genuine will and aspirations of the Myanmar people. The statement indicated that these consultations should include all members of the Council leading the formation of a Federal Democratic Union, including the National Unity Government, ethnic organizations, Myanmar civil society organizations, representatives of minority communities, and those pressured to leave Myanmar. The statement warned that as Myanmar continues to face escalating crises, akin to a burning fire, and the junta consolidates its power, ASEAN's failure on the Myanmar issue raises significant questions about the bloc's sustainability. They said that the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting is a time to reset policy, and the lives of the Myanmar people and the future of ASEAN depend on it.