ASEAN More Determined to Help Myanmar Despite Critical Situation

ASEAN is more committed to help Myanmar to bring about a peaceful solution even though the situation in the country remains critical.
The commitment was underscored by ASEAN foreign ministers in a special meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 27.
H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, chaired the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat to deliberate on ways to better implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) endorsed by the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on April 24, 2021 and to propose recommendations the ASEAN Leaders’ consideration at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits. A non-political representative from Myanmar was invited to the Meeting; however, the invitation was met with no positive response.
According to the Statement of the Chair released this afternoon, the Meeting exchanged extensive views on how to further strengthen the implementation of the 5PC to help solve Myanmar’s crisis, the need to resume Myanmar’s full and normal engagements with ASEAN, the importance of continuing ASEAN community building efforts without disruption, and the ways to facilitate and expedite the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar and the early conclusion of the Joint Needs Assessment led by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre).
While reaffirming the importance of the 5PC, which emphasised ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN’s leading role in returning peace and normalcy for the people of Myanmar, the Ministers and representatives reiterated full support for the tireless efforts of Cambodia as the Chair of ASEAN and H.E. Deputy Prime Minister as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar in carrying out the mandate over the past ten months.
The Meeting also recalled the ice-breaking visit of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, to Myanmar, which paved the way for the two subsequent visits of the Special Envoy. H.E. Deputy Prime Minister stressed that he remains strongly committed to advance the three priorities that Cambodia has set out since the beginning of her Chairmanship, namely (1) end or reduce violence, (2) facilitate humanitarian assistance delivery and (3) create an enabling environment for political dialogue among all parties concerned.
Undoubtedly, the situation on the ground remains critical and fragile, and this is not due to the lack of commitments and efforts on the part of ASEAN and the Special Envoy, but because of the complexity and difficulty of Myanmar’s decades-long protracted conflicts, which has been further exacerbated by the current political crisis. Despite these great challenges, the Meeting agreed that ASEAN should not be discouraged, but even more determined to help Myanmar to bring about a peaceful solution the soonest possible.
Furthermore, the Meeting unanimously agreed that decision-making in ASEAN shall be based on consultation and consensus, and the fundamental principles stipulated in the ASEAN Charter shall guide ASEAN’s collective efforts to address the situation in Myanmar. Foreign Ministers and Representatives also reaffirmed the importance and relevance of the 5PC, and underscored the need to further strengthen its implementation through concrete, practical and time-bound actions.
H.E. Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that the time to act is now, and ASEAN needs to act together with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and the interests of the people of Myanmar at the core. The Meeting also acknowledged that all concerned parties in Myanmar have a stake in ending or worsening the current political crisis that has caused the loss of many lives, severe destruction to the country, and long-lasting effects on the economy, and it is of utmost necessity and urgency that a dialogue process shall commence the soonest possible.
In order to ensure full and effective implementation of the Five-Point Consensus and an early conclusion of the current political crisis in Myanmar, the Meeting has also discussed about key recommendations to be submitted for the consideration of the ASEAN Leaders at the upcoming 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in November 2022.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press