ASEAN foreign ministers to seek ‘way forward’ in first informal meet with Myanmar

MANILA, Philippines – The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet for the first time with their Myanmar counterpart in Thailand on Sunday, July 12, ASEAN chair Philippines announced.

Philippine Foreign Secretary and special envoy to Myanmar Ma. Theresa Lazaro will be chairing the informal meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister U Tin Maung Swe. The meeting will be hosted by Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkow in Bangkok.

“This informal meeting is the first in-person engagement between the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and Myanmar since the 2021 military coup,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial, ASEAN spokesperson, stated on Friday, July 10.

He added: “This comes after the ASEAN Leaders during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu tasked the ASEAN foreign ministers to continue discussions on how ASEAN may continue constructive and principled engagement with Myanmar, while staying true to the principles of the Five-Point Consensus.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Department of Foreign Affairs’s commemoration of the 2016 Arbitral Award, Imperial said ministers are hoping to find “a way forward.”

“As the intent of what the leader said, that we want more progress when it comes to Myanmar, especially in the situation in the country — more progress when it comes to the five-point consensus, the points under the five-point consensus, which is cessation of violence or hostilities, dialogue, and also humanitarian assistance,” he said.

“They are expected to exchange views on ASEAN’s engagement with Myanmar, as well as on possible concrete steps in which Myanmar may address concerns on the cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among concerned parties, and humanitarian assistance in Myanmar, as indicated in the Five-Point Consensus,” said Imperial.

Myanmar’s political leaders — that is, officials from the junta — are not invited to high-level ASEAN meetings. In leaders’ and foreign ministers’ meetings, for instance, Naypyidaw is represented instead by its Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On July 12, U Tin Maung Swe will be briefing his counterparts on “developments in Myanmar.”

Lazaro, as the chair’s special envoy to Myanmar, had asked to meet detained former state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar denied the request.

Imperial said the request to meet Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to be taken up during the informal meeting. – Rappler.com