The Philippines has reiterated its previous calls for the immediate release of political prisoners in Myanmar even as it supported the consensus among the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end the violence and deescalate the conflict on the ground.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. conveyed this message during his participation in the ASEAN Leaders Summit held in Jakarta over the weekend.
In a statement, the DFA said Locsin joined the ASEAN’s call to recommend the appointment of a special envoy to mediate in the dialogue among concerned parties in Myanmar, as well as the delivery of humanitarian assistance to its people.
“Secretary Locsin supported the ASEAN consensus to appoint either the ASEAN Secretary-General or the ASEAN Chair to visit Myanmar to initiate talks among concerned parties, with the view to improving the situation on the ground,” the DFA said in a statement released only on Monday.
During the meeting, Locsin noted that Brunei’s role as Chair puts it in a strong position to lead ASEAN as it offers assistance to Myanmar in ending violence, restoring peace, and facilitating its return to political normalcy.
In a tweet, Locsin said the meeting among ASEAN leaders was conducted in a candid, family-style manner where the leaders took turns in expressing their concerns on the rising death toll and escalating violence against civilians in the aftermath of the February 1 coup mounted by the Myanmar Armed Forces, or the Tatmadaw.
“The General (Myanmar’s Chairman of the State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing) presented his case; he listened carefully to the concerns of the ASEAN leaders; and their reasons; and gladly met them halfway. It was the ASEAN Way all the way; no outsiders because family problems are settled inside the family by the family,” the foreign affairs chief said.
President Duterte opted to designate Locsin as his Special Envoy to the ASEAN meeting given the spiraling COVID-19 cases in the country.
The Leaders’ Meeting held in the Indonesian capital was the first face-to-face event to be convened involving ASEAN heads of state, heads of governments, and their special envoys since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement last month, the Philippines called on Myanmar to release key political figures led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, and for the return to its “previously existing state of affairs.”
The call came following a series of violent confrontations between protesters and the military that already resulted in the deaths of nearly 500 civilians.