ASEAN ministers use softer language in addressing Myanmar's situation

References to regional concern over the violence in Myanmar, including the killing of four opposition activists, were toned down by the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in a joint communique they issued belatedly on Friday.

Comparisons of different drafts of the 29-page communique, which was issued Friday by host Cambodia and seen by GMA News Online, showed strong alarm, condemnation and calls for early compliance by Myanmar to a five-point consensus that aims to ease the violence have been removed or toned down.

The final section on Myanmar, which an ASEAN diplomat said was a compromise forged by host Cambodia, was milder in tone for Myanmar and had a more positive outlook on the violence and killings that have been taking place since the military forcibly seized power in February last year and detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected political leaders.

Debates over the wording on Myanmar delayed the immediate issuance of the communique, which is traditionally released publicly after the daylong annual meetings. The ministerial meetings took place in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh last Wednesday.

"We extensively discussed the recent developments in Myanmar and expressed our concerns over the prolonged political crisis in the country, including the execution of four opposition activists," the ministers said in the official communique.

The group also welcomed the efforts to help address the situation, including visits to Myanmar by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen last January and by Prak Sokhonn, Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, as ASEAN special envoy. 

The ministers said they were "deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Nay Pyi Taw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the five-point consensus."

The consensus refers to an agreement for Myanmar to take steps to reduce violence and initiate dialogue among all sectors, including Suu Kyi’s camp, to be overseen by the ASEAN envoy to spur Myanmar’s eventual return to normalcy.

"We reiterated our commitment to peace and stability in the region and expressed ASEAN's readiness to assist Myanmar in a positive, peaceful, and constructive manner, including in the delivery of humanitarian assistance," the ministers said.

In an earlier draft of the communique, however, stronger denunciations were proposed but opposed constantly by low-level Myanmar representatives in online and face-to-face meetings held in Cambodia before the ministerial meetings.

ASEAN has not invited Myanmar’s generals and their officials to annual meetings as a punishment following last year’s coup.

"ASEAN condemns and was strongly disappointed by the execution of four opposition activists in Myanmar," a proposed sentence by Singapore said but was opposed by Myanmar.

"The implementation of the death sentences is highly reprehensible as it created a serious setback to and present a gross lack of will to support the efforts, particularly by the ASEAN Chair, in expediting progress of the implementation of the five-point consensus," the Singapore-proposed sentence said. "We expressed our deepest condolences to the families of all victims."

Indonesia proposed a line, which was later on not included in the communique, that said: "We denounced and were strongly disappointed by the execution of four opposition activists that has undermined all efforts to create an atmosphere needed for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Myanmar."

Malaysia, among the most vocal critics of Myanmar’s military rulers, wanted a line expressing "disappointment over the lack of immediate and real progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus by the Myanmar military authorities."

"In this regard, the meeting agreed, henceforth, not to allow Myanmar to send political representatives to all ASEAN ministerial-level meetings," said the proposed phrase, which was also not included in the final statement.

Malaysia has proposed a "framework for an endgame to be discussed between now and the 40th ASEAN Summit in November 2022," an earlier draft said.

"The endgame is a Myanmar that is democratic, inclusive and just, peaceful and harmonious and prosperous, where civil and political rights are guaranteed by the constitution."

Malaysia’s proposed lines were not included in the released communique.

In March last year, the Philippines condemned the excessive use of force by Myanmar's military against protesting civilians that killed dozens of people, including children.

An ASEAN diplomat said that some were concerned at the meetings in Cambodia this week that a repeat of the non-issuance of a joint communique in 2012 when the meetings were also hosted by Cambodia could happen.

At the time, foreign ministers from the Philippines and Vietnam wanted to make mention of serious concern over China’s behavior in the disputed South China Sea.

They accused host Cambodia of blocking mention of the disputes, which China did not want to be internationalized.

Due to differing views, the communique then was never issued - a first in ASEAN history. —VBL, GMA News