ASEAN to stick to Myanmar peace plan despite its failure to stop deadly civil war

Myanmar Peace Plan Falls Short, but ASEAN Sees Path Forward After Controversial Elections

Southeast Asian leaders are acknowledging that a five-year peace plan has failed to end Myanmar’s devastating civil war, even as they look for new opportunities to engage with the military-controlled nation.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow admitted in an interview with The Associated Press that ASEAN’s “five-point consensus” plan has not achieved its primary goal of halting violence across Myanmar. The plan, which regional leaders agreed to in April 2021, called for an immediate end to hostilities, dialogue between all parties, and delivery of humanitarian aid.

“We don’t seek to isolate Myanmar,” Sihasak said from Cebu, Philippines. “We seek to bring Myanmar back to the ASEAN family.”

The nationwide conflict began after Myanmar’s military forcibly seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in February 2021, triggering widespread protests. The military’s brutal crackdown against demonstrators ultimately sparked armed resistance throughout the country, creating one of the most significant challenges for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in its history.

Despite the peace plan’s shortcomings, ASEAN foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to it during their first major meeting of the year in Cebu. They believe it could serve as a foundation for working with whatever new government emerges from Myanmar’s recent controversial elections.

Those elections, held in December and January, have given the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party a significant majority. With the military automatically granted 25% of legislative seats under Myanmar’s constitution, the armed forces will maintain control over the government.

The international community has widely criticized the elections as neither free nor fair. Many opposition figures were arrested, and Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, which won by a landslide in 2020, was dissolved by the military government in 2023 after refusing to register under conditions it deemed unacceptable.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, speaking as the representative of this year’s ASEAN chair, confirmed that the bloc “has not endorsed the three phases of the elections that were held” in Myanmar. However, Sihasak suggested that despite their flaws, the elections could represent “a new starting point for continued efforts on dialogue, reconciliation and as a part of a broader peace process.”

The Thai diplomat outlined potential benchmarks for Myanmar to demonstrate progress, which could lead ASEAN to gradually lift restrictions on Myanmar’s participation in regional meetings.

“Maybe to some degree, they can start to deescalate the violence. First, avoid attacks against civilians and also avoid the use of air attacks, which really affect civilians… these are the benchmarks for us,” he explained.

In a humanitarian gesture, Sihasak revealed he recently renewed a proposal for the 80-year-old Suu Kyi to be moved from prison to house arrest, which would give her better access to medical care. “It’s a good humanitarian gesture that will be well-received by the international community,” he noted.

Suu Kyi is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence on charges widely considered politically motivated. Reports indicate she has been kept in isolation and has not been permitted to meet with her lawyers since December 2022.

While Myanmar’s military government has allowed some humanitarian aid into the country on its own restrictive terms, it has largely ignored the other aspects of ASEAN’s peace plan. The conflict has created one of the region’s most severe humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and countless civilian casualties.

For ASEAN, which operates on consensus and non-interference principles, the Myanmar crisis has tested the limits of its diplomatic approach. The bloc’s continued commitment to the five-point plan, despite its limited success, underscores the complex challenge of addressing political instability within one of its member states while preserving regional unity.