VIENTIANE, Laos – ASEAN foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the bloc’s peace plan for Myanmar on July 25, despite the widening civil war sparked by the country’s 2021 military coup.
During the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan shared on social media that the ministers discussed regional and geopolitical developments, including the deteriorating situation in Myanmar and the importance of upholding the Five-Point Consensus. This plan calls for the cessation of violence and facilitation of dialogue among all parties concerned but has faced criticism for being ineffective given the scale of the ongoing conflict.
Over three million people have been displaced as the Myanmar military clashes with ethnic armed groups and anti-junta People’s Defence Forces for control of border regions. A recent ceasefire brokered by China failed to hold, and on July 25, the ethnic minority Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army claimed to have captured the military’s North-eastern Regional Military Command headquarters in Lashio, although this was denied by a junta spokesperson.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Ms. Retno Marsudi, after a bilateral meeting with Dr. Balakrishnan on July 24, expressed shared concerns over the Myanmar military junta’s lack of commitment to the five-point consensus. Since its agreement in April 2021, the regime has only intensified its efforts to quell resistance.
Mr. I Gede Ngurah Swajaya, who heads the office of Indonesia’s special envoy for Myanmar, emphasized that ASEAN remains firmly committed to the five-point consensus as the main framework for resolving the crisis. There was no discussion among ASEAN foreign ministers about the election promised by Myanmar’s junta, which has yet to take place after the overthrow of the democratically elected government.
Despite the turmoil, ASEAN has barred political appointees from Myanmar at its high-level meetings, allowing only a “non-political representative” to attend. The junta began sending a senior bureaucrat in January 2024.
Mr. Ngurah mentioned discussions for ASEAN’s current special envoy on Myanmar, veteran Lao diplomat Alounkeo Kittikhoun, to hold a meeting involving ASEAN states, Myanmar’s neighbors, and the United Nations’ newly appointed special envoy on Myanmar, Ms. Julie Bishop.
ASEAN is urging the international community to scale up humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that only 12 percent of the $994 million required to aid Myanmar in 2024 was raised by June 2024.
The ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to release a joint communiqué on July 25, covering their discussions on various regional issues, including the South China Sea confrontations and the Gaza conflict. Dr. Balakrishnan highlighted the importance of ASEAN integration and collective resilience, with energy security and digital economy frameworks as key priorities.
Kicking off the discussion, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith emphasized the need to enhance ASEAN centrality and unity amid rapid geopolitical and geoeconomic changes. He stressed the importance of promoting ASEAN’s relevance and resilience to address emerging challenges and seize future opportunities.
From July 26, ASEAN foreign ministers will commence a series of meetings with their counterparts from dialogue partners, including China, Japan, the European Union, Russia, and the United States.