Asean cautioned against legitimising Myanmar junta as ministers meet on peace plan
The bloc’s foreign ministers meet in Cebu amid concerns that diplomacy could slide into tacit acceptance of military rule
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on Wednesday and Thursday, is the first major gathering hosted by the Philippines since it assumed the bloc’s chairship this year. Much of its focus has been on Myanmar and the stalled implementation of Asean’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), the peace framework agreed in 2021 to end violence and open dialogue after the country’s military coup.
Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war since February 2021, when the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and detained its leaders, triggering widespread resistance and violence that has killed thousands and jailed tens of thousands more.
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Myanmar’s junta carries out long-awaited elections, despite critics’ protests
Speaking after the meeting, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said Asean member states had not reached a consensus on whether to endorse the results of Myanmar’s controversial election, but reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to implementing the consensus to address the crisis.