No ASEAN endorsement yet of Myanmar polls – Lazaro

CEBU CITY — Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro on Thursday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has yet to endorse Myanmar’s elections but noted “a certain compliance” to a five-point peace plan resisted by the ruling junta may result in a shift in the bloc’s policy.

Lazaro said the 11-member grouping failed to reach a consensus at the end of their two-day closed-door talks on whether to back the recently concluded polls even as “a good number” of its members were of the view that the process “might be something positive.”

Founded in 1967, the ASEAN group includes Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste. It has a principle of non-interference in domestic policies of its members and decides by consensus.

“It (ASEAN) does not recognize (the elections), but there are nuances and permutations towards that,” Lazaro, the ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar and current ASEAN chair, told a press conference.

“ASEAN is of the view that even a certain compliance and implementation of the five-point consensus is something that will make things new.

So, we're still looking into that matter.”

The informal ministerial talks, called a retreat, held at a seaside resort hotel in Cebu, were held a week after Myanmar concluded its third and final round of elections in a monthlong general poll called by the ruling military junta since the army ousted the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The military takeover sparked widespread opposition that led to a civil war.

“While reaffirming that Myanmar remains an integral part of ASEAN, we reaffirm ASEAN’s position on the importance of a free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible general election in Myanmar,” she said.

During the Cebu meeting, Lazaro reported to her ASEAN counterparts the outcome of her recent visit to Myanmar, where she met military and civilian leaders, as the group’s designated special envoy.

Southeast Asia's top diplomats also renewed their commitment to finding a "peaceful and lasting" solution to end Myanmar's civil war.

Lazaro said they had "discussed ways forward" in finding a solution "that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led."

“We noted that any meaningful political progress can only take place in an environment of peace, security, and inclusivity, supported by the cessation of violence and inclusive dialogue among all relevant stakeholders,” she said, adding that the ASEAN is united in its position that the Five-Point Consensus “remains our primary reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar.”

“We emphasized ASEAN's commitment and role to assist Myanmar in charting its future with a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis, which is both Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led,” Lazaro said.

Myanmar was barred from assuming the ASEAN chairmanship this year as regularly scheduled due to the ruling junta's refusal to implement a peace plan, known as the Five-Point Consensus, agreed on by the bloc’s heads of state to stem the deadly civil strife in the country. Because of this, the Philippines assumed the bloc's chairmanship a year early.

ASEAN excludes junta leaders from attending its meeting but allows non-political officials to represent military-ruled Myanmar, which has not been recognized by the grouping but remains as its member.

For this retreat, a senior diplomat with the rank of Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar is attending. — with Anna Felicia Bajo/VBL, GMA Integrated News