The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will convene two meetings specifically focused on the civil war in Myanmar, which is currently under military rule. These meetings are scheduled to take place ahead of the ASEAN summit next week, signaling a renewed effort to address the faltering peace process in the country.
ASEAN, a 10-member bloc, has consistently called for a cessation of hostilities between rebel groups and the ruling junta in Myanmar. The conflict, triggered by the military’s overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government in 2021, has resulted in an estimated 3.5 million people being displaced.
In 2021, ASEAN proposed the “Five Point Consensus,” a peace plan advocating for an end to violence and dialogue among the conflicting parties. However, the plan has seen minimal progress, leading to the exclusion of Myanmar’s ruling generals from ASEAN summits.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told Reuters in an interview that these two meetings in Malaysia are a new initiative that will specifically focus on Myanmar, without addressing any other issues.
Kao Kim Hourn did not provide details on the specific topics to be discussed or whether any new proposals would be presented.
He mentioned that the first meeting would involve the current, past, and future ASEAN chair nations: Malaysia, Laos, and the Philippines, respectively. The second meeting would consist of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
Myanmar, once considered a promising frontier market after a decade of economic reform and tentative democracy, has been plunged into chaos since the 2021 coup. The military is struggling to govern and contain a growing rebellion involving ethnic minority rebels and a pro-democracy resistance movement.
The military has faced accusations of widespread atrocities, including air strikes on civilian areas, which it denies, dismissing them as western disinformation.
‘WE ALL ARE TOO IMPATIENT’
When questioned about the lack of progress in Myanmar, Kao Kim Hourn defended ASEAN’s plan, describing it as “beautiful” and urging all stakeholders to implement it.
“It will be presumptuous for any party to expect a quick fix to this issue. For us, we stay engaged,” he said. “But it may take time. You see, the thing is that we all are too impatient.”
“And as long as we bring down, you know, large-scale fighting to a smaller one, as long as we can bring people to the table, that’s progress.”
Read more: Ukraine Faces Gas Shortage as Storage Facilities Dwindle
He declined to comment on reports of the military launching multiple airstrikes and artillery assaults, despite a ceasefire following a major earthquake in March. Kao Kim Hourn stated that it was unclear who had violated the ceasefire.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of ASEAN countries and China to finalize a long-awaited code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea by next year, emphasizing the need to maintain peace to support this effort.
“What is important for us in this region, number one, is to de-escalate the tensions and to prevent any possible risk of miscalculation, misperception that gives rise to unnecessary tension and maybe conflict,” Kao Kim Hourn said.
He also noted significant progress in admitting East Timor as the 11th member of ASEAN, stating that it had met several required criteria.
“More likely, it could take place maybe later this year,” he said.
