US Ambassador to ASEAN stresses the US respects ASEAN’s 5-Point Consensus in dealing with the Burma crisis

July 24 Mizzima. || U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, Mr. Kevin Kim, held a press conference today (July 24) regarding U.S. engagement in the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held this week. The press conference addressed the U.S. stance on Myanmar and efforts to jointly combat online scam centers in the region, including Myanmar. Although ASEAN has been working based on the Five-Point Consensus signed in April 2021 following the military coup in February 2021 to resolve the Myanmar issue, no concrete results have been achieved even after five years. In response to a question at the press conference, Mr. Kim stated that while the United States has its own position on the Myanmar issue, it "respects" ASEAN's "Five-Point Consensus" peace plan, which includes ceasing hostilities, releasing political prisoners including elected leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and allowing humanitarian assistance to be provided freely. Ambassador Kim made these remarks following a "successful trip" by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Southeast Asia and his attendance at the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Secretary Pompeo met with many Southeast Asian leaders. He emphasized the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and freedom of navigation, and reaffirmed ASEAN centrality, a key relationship for Washington. Southeast Asian foreign ministers, facing fuel shortages, called for freedom of navigation in international waterways as they concluded week-long meetings overshadowed by the U.S.-Iran conflict on Thursday. The joint statement issued from the ASEAN meeting in Manila further called for restraint in the Middle East conflict, which is causing economic repercussions in the region. All countries, including Myanmar, are suffering from reduced fuel imports and rising commodity prices. Secretary of State Pompeo, visiting this week, warned ASEAN diplomats that Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz would set a "dangerous precedent." "The fundamental principle of freedom of navigation is under threat," the ambassador told the media. At the press conference, Ambassador Kim added that Washington is investing $2.5 billion in Southeast Asian security. "The United States wants to cooperate with ASEAN for regional stability and security," he said. This includes jointly combating cross-border crimes, including money laundering, and cracking down on online scam centers that are a problem in many countries in the region, including Myanmar. Ambassador Kim noted that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is working with many countries to resolve this issue, as these scams are causing losses to U.S. citizens. ASEAN foreign ministers are facing the difficult question of how to handle the Myanmar issue. Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, Myanmar has been formally excluded from summit meetings like the one held this week. In May, ASEAN leaders departed from a stimulating meeting in Cebu, which concluded with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. calling for a "detailed revision" of the long-standing Five-Point Consensus to end Myanmar's ongoing bloody civil war. ASEAN member states appear to have differing views on how to handle the challenge of bringing Myanmar back into the fold. Critics point out that inviting the Myanmar foreign minister to ASEAN's recent "informal" meeting, despite the military junta taking no action or making any progress on the now nearly defunct Five-Point Consensus, has given the junta a degree of legitimacy. (Translated by Ko Taw from Mizzima’s “US Ambassador to ASEAN stresses the US respects ASEAN’s 5-Point Consensus in dealing with the Burma crisis”)