Asean reaffirms commitment to Myanmar Five-Point Consensus

New Straits Times

5 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Asean leaders have reiterated their unwavering commitment to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as the main framework for resolving the political crisis in Myanmar amidst deepening conflict and humanitarian conditions in the country.
In his Chairman's Statement following the conclusion of the 46th Asean Summit, Asean Chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the leaders remained united in upholding earlier decisions on Myanmar.
"We expressed our deep concern over the escalation of conflicts and humanitarian situation in Myanmar and the minimal progress on the implementation of the 5PC.
"The leaders upheld the decision limiting Myanmar's participation at the Asean Summits and Foreign Ministers' Meetings to the non-political level and reiterated that Asean community building and decision-making should not be affected," he said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted an elected civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a protest movement that morphed into an armed rebellion against the junta across the country.
The 5PC is Asean's agreed framework to address the Myanmar crisis, calling for an end to violence, inclusive dialogue, a special envoy's mediation, humanitarian aid, and a visit by the envoy to engage all parties.
Anwar said they also welcomed the exchange of ideas and proposals put forward during the Informal Consultation and the Extended Informal Consultation on the Implementation of the 5PC.
He said Asean leaders collectively condemned the violence on the ground, calling for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and infrastructure.
"We denounced the continued acts of violence against civilians and public facilities and urged all parties involved to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence, exercise utmost restraint, ensure the protection and safety of all civilians and civilian infrastructures, and create a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogue," he said.
Acknowledging efforts on the humanitarian front, he welcomed the work by the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) in implementing Point 4 of the 5PC.
"We called for scaled-up additional financial support from the international community for humanitarian assistance, including to ensure the safety and livelihood of internally displaced persons (IDPs)," he said.
On the Rohingya issue, he said Asean reiterated support for Myanmar's efforts in Rakhine State and the repatriation of displaced persons.
"We reaffirmed Asean's continued support for Myanmar's efforts to bring peace, stability, the rule of law, promote harmony and reconciliation, and sustainable and equitable development in Rakhine State.
"We looked forward to Asean's continued support for Myanmar's efforts in the repatriation process through the implementation of projects following the recommendations of the Preliminary Needs Assessment (PNA).
"We also looked forward to the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) when conditions allowed and encouraged the Asean Secretary-General to continue identifying possible areas of cooperation to effectively facilitate the repatriation process," he said.
He said Asean leaders also welcomed the work of Special Envoy of the Asean Chair on Myanmar Tan Sri Othman Hashim, who has been engaging various Myanmar stakeholders since his appointment in January.
From: Iylia