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Myanmar still far from returning to ASEAN meetings as bloc develops compliance benchmarks
Myanmar still far from returning to ASEAN meetings as bloc develops compliance benchmarks
At A Glance
- ASEAN said Myanmar remains far from returning to high-level meetings as the regional bloc develops benchmarks for measuring compliance with the Five-Point Consensus.
- Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said there is no vote among ASEAN members on Myanmar's participation, stressing that compliance—not politics—will determine the country's return.
- Lazaro also said ASEAN continues to treat the Five-Point Consensus as the sole framework for resolving Myanmar's political crisis.
Myanmar remains far from returning to high-level Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings as the regional bloc continues developing benchmarks to measure the military government's compliance with the Five-Point Consensus, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay City, Lazaro said the benchmarks are still being finalized by senior officials and will determine whether Myanmar has made sufficient progress toward implementing the regional bloc's peace plan.
Asked what ASEAN would do if the benchmarks are not met, Lazaro, who serves as the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, said failure to comply would simply mean failure to implement the Five-Point Consensus.
"If the benchmarks are not met, then there is failure to comply with the five-point consensus," she said Thursday evening, July 23.
"Again, we repeat, we always go back to the five-point consensus," she added.
Lazaro dismissed suggestions that ASEAN members are divided over whether Myanmar should be allowed to resume participation in the bloc's meetings, saying the issue is not determined through voting or political preference.
"There's no number, because the issue here is, have they complied with the five-point consensus? If there is compliance, then that means it will change," she said.
"There's no view whether there's a number of countries who doesn't like Myanmar to sit where, on their seats, so it's not. It's really the compliance with the five-point consensus," she added.
Asked whether Myanmar could eventually be removed from the ASEAN if it continued to fall short of the bloc's expectations, Lazaro declined to speculate, saying senior officials are still discussing the benchmarks ahead of the ASEAN Summit later this year.
"First of all, it's highly speculative. I don't know what will happen. Let's just wait for the senior officials. Ask me this question in November," she said.
Lazaro also declined to speculate on whether she would be granted access to detained Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi during her planned humanitarian mission, stressing that the visit is intended to deliver humanitarian assistance rather than seek a political meeting.
ASEAN adopted the Five-Point Consensus in April 2021 following Myanmar's military coup, calling for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among all parties, the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy, humanitarian assistance, and the envoy's visit to Myanmar to meet all concerned parties.
Citing the junta's failure to fully implement the consensus, ASEAN has since barred Myanmar's political leaders from attending the bloc's high-level meetings while allowing only non-political representation.