Latest news with #5PC
The Star
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Ex-Thai DPM: Myanmar must end conflict or face humanitarian crisis
PHNOM PENH/NBANGKOK (Bernama): Former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prof Dr Surakiart Sathirathai said Myanmar military leaders and all resistance groups must end the conflict immediately, failing which could drive the nation into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Surakiart, who was also the former Thai foreign minister, said the derailed peace process coupled with the recent earthquake has only punished millions of innocent Myanmar people. At least 3.5 million have been displaced internally due to the armed conflict and the March earthquake killed over 3,800 people. According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, 15.2 million or one in four people are already facing hunger in 2025. The current ceasefire, declared by the junta to facilitate relief efforts post-earthquake, will expire on May 31. "2025 is a crucial year for peace in Myanmar. We have to work together to ensure that the ceasefire and inclusive dialogue can take place before the election. "The fighting on the ground that we have seen in the past years has come to the point that no one can win total control of the territory in Myanmar,' Surakiart, currently the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council Chairman, told Bernama from Bangkok. The veteran politician served as Thailand's deputy prime minister between 2005 and 2006 and was the foreign minister from 2001 to 2005. He said the fighting shows that the Myanmar people need humanitarian assistance. While the Tatmadaw (armed forces) has announced the election, it will only lead to more division, whether it's free and fair or not, he said. Surakiart said the crucial Five Point Consensus (5PC) adopted by ASEAN leaders in April 2021 has not been fully implemented. He said that through the consensus, it called for the immediate cessation of violence and constructive dialogue among all parties, but neither has happened in the past three years. The deepening crisis continues to be a major geopolitical concern, with Southeast Asian leaders attending the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia's 2025 chairmanship earlier this week reiterating their call for Myanmar to recommit to the 5PC as the primary framework for resolving the crisis. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has stressed that compliance with the 5PC must be a prerequisite to holding the election. On May 21, Myanmar's Union Electoral Commission (UEC) stated that the election date has been tentatively set and will be announced soon, following the SAC's announcement that the election would be held in December or January next year. - Bernama TAGS:
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Myanmar must end conflict or face crisis - Ex-Thai DPM
PHNOM PENH: Former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prof Dr Surakiart Sathirathai said Myanmar military leaders and all resistance groups must end the conflict immediately, failing which could drive the nation into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Surakiart, who was also the former Thai foreign minister, said the derailed peace process coupled with the recent earthquake has only punished millions of innocent Myanmar people. At least 3.5 million have been displaced internally due to the armed conflict and the March earthquake killed over 3,800 people. According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, 15.2 million or one in four people are already facing hunger in 2025. The current ceasefire, declared by the junta to facilitate relief efforts post-earthquake, will expire on May 31. '2025 is a crucial year for peace in Myanmar. We have to work together to ensure that the ceasefire and inclusive dialogue can take place before the election. 'The fighting on the ground that we have seen in the past years has come to the point that no one can win total control of the territory in Myanmar,' Surakiart, currently the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council Chairman, told Bernama from Bangkok. The veteran politician served as Thailand's deputy prime minister between 2005 and 2006 and was the foreign minister from 2001 to 2005. He said the fighting shows that the Myanmar people need humanitarian assistance. While the Tatmadaw (armed forces) has announced the election, it will only lead to more division, whether it's free and fair or not, he said. Surakiart said the crucial Five Point Consensus (5PC) adopted by ASEAN leaders in April 2021 has not been fully implemented. He said that through the consensus, it called for the immediate cessation of violence and constructive dialogue among all parties, but neither has happened in the past three years. The deepening crisis continues to be a major geopolitical concern, with Southeast Asian leaders attending the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia's 2025 chairmanship earlier this week reiterating their call for Myanmar to recommit to the 5PC as the primary framework for resolving the crisis. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has stressed that compliance with the 5PC must be a prerequisite to holding the election. On May 21, Myanmar's Union Electoral Commission (UEC) stated that the election date has been tentatively set and will be announced soon, following the SAC's announcement that the election would be held in December or January next year.
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Ex-Thai DPM: Myanmar must end conflict or face humanitarian crisis
PHNOM PENH: Former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prof Dr Surakiart Sathirathai said Myanmar military leaders and all resistance groups must end the conflict immediately, failing which could drive the nation into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Surakiart, who was also the former Thai foreign minister, said the derailed peace process coupled with the recent earthquake has only punished millions of innocent Myanmar people. At least 3.5 million have been displaced internally due to the armed conflict and the March earthquake killed over 3,800 people. According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, 15.2 million or one in four people are already facing hunger in 2025. The current ceasefire, declared by the junta to facilitate relief efforts post-earthquake, will expire on May 31. '2025 is a crucial year for peace in Myanmar. We have to work together to ensure that the ceasefire and inclusive dialogue can take place before the election. 'The fighting on the ground that we have seen in the past years has come to the point that no one can win total control of the territory in Myanmar,' Surakiart, currently the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council Chairman, told Bernama from Bangkok. The veteran politician served as Thailand's deputy prime minister between 2005 and 2006 and was the foreign minister from 2001 to 2005. He said the fighting shows that the Myanmar people need humanitarian assistance. While the Tatmadaw (armed forces) has announced the election, it will only lead to more division, whether it's free and fair or not, he said. Surakiart said the crucial Five Point Consensus (5PC) adopted by ASEAN leaders in April 2021 has not been fully implemented. He said that through the consensus, it called for the immediate cessation of violence and constructive dialogue among all parties, but neither has happened in the past three years. The deepening crisis continues to be a major geopolitical concern, with Southeast Asian leaders attending the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia's 2025 chairmanship earlier this week reiterating their call for Myanmar to recommit to the 5PC as the primary framework for resolving the crisis. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has stressed that compliance with the 5PC must be a prerequisite to holding the election. On May 21, Myanmar's Union Electoral Commission (UEC) stated that the election date has been tentatively set and will be announced soon, following the SAC's announcement that the election would be held in December or January next year.
Malaysia Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
ASEAN Reaffirms Commitment to Myanmar Peace Process, Urges Ceasefire Extension
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - At a meeting on Tuesday in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN leaders reiterated their commitment to supporting Myanmar in achieving a peaceful resolution to its protracted crisis, emphasizing the continued relevance of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as the primary framework for dialogue. In a joint statement, the bloc urged all parties in Myanmar to immediately halt violence against civilians and public infrastructure, while calling for restraint to ensure civilian safety. The leaders also stressed the need for unhindered humanitarian access , urging warring factions to facilitate the transparent and efficient delivery of ASEAN aid to affected populations. The statement comes as a truce agreement —initially brokered to allow disaster relief after a devastating March earthquake—was extended until May 31 . The earthquake, which killed over 3,800 people and displaced tens of thousands, had prompted rare cooperation between Myanmar's military and armed resistance groups. ASEAN now seeks a nationwide expansion of the ceasefire. Adopted in April 2021 following the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, the Five-Point Consensus outlines steps to end violence, enable humanitarian aid, foster inclusive dialogue, appoint an ASEAN special envoy, and facilitate the envoy's engagement with all stakeholders. However, progress has stalled amid escalating conflict, with Myanmar's junta largely ignoring ASEAN's demands. The bloc's statement reflects persistent frustrations over the lack of breakthroughs but underscores ASEAN's unwavering stance on a peaceful, negotiated solution. Member countries of ASEAN, aside from Myanmar, comprise Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Laos. The group was formed on 8 August 1967, when five leaders – the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – sat down together in the main hall of the Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok, Thailand and signed a document. By virtue of that document, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was born.
Barnama
4 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
ASEAN Reiterates Commitment To Myanmar Peace Plan, Calls For End To Violence
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) – ASEAN leaders have expressed deep concern over the worsening conflict and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, urging all parties to halt violence and recommit to the grouping's Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as the primary framework for resolving the crisis. In a Chairman's Statement issued at the conclusion of the 46th ASEAN Summit chaired by Malaysia here today, the leaders stressed that the 5PC remains the regional grouping's central reference in guiding efforts toward restoring peace and stability in Myanmar, which has been plagued by conflict since the military seized power in 2021. 'We reaffirmed our united position that the 5PC remains our main reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar,' the statement read, underscoring the bloc's consensus to uphold previous decisions made by ASEAN Heads of State and Government. The leaders also reiterated their decision to restrict Myanmar's representation at ASEAN Summits and Foreign Ministers' Meetings to the non-political level, while affirming that ASEAN's community-building efforts and decision-making processes must continue unaffected. The summit welcomed the exchange of ideas during recent informal consultations aimed at reinvigorating implementation of the 5PC and finding practical ways forward amid the lack of tangible progress on the ground. ASEAN denounced the continued violence perpetrated against civilians and public facilities in Myanmar, calling on all actors to exercise restraint and ensure the protection of non-combatants and essential infrastructure. 'We urge all parties involved to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence,' the leaders said, while also calling for an environment that enables humanitarian access and inclusive national dialogue. In a significant move, the bloc issued the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on an Extended and Expanded Ceasefire in Myanmar, aimed at reducing hostilities and creating space for peaceful negotiations. ASEAN leaders also welcomed ongoing humanitarian relief efforts by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), in line with Point 4 of the 5PC, which calls for the provision of humanitarian aid.
