Latest news with #AseanTroika
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Engagement with all sides in Myanmar marks key step towards peace, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The decision by all major stakeholders in Myanmar to participate in direct engagement with Asean leaders marks a significant step forward in efforts to resolve the country's protracted conflict, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In an interview with Asean media ahead of the 46th Asean Summit, the Prime Minister said the recent meeting in Bangkok, involving Asean Troika and Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Than Shwe, reflected a shift in attitude, especially from the military junta. "I think you must give credit to the fact that it is generally a ceasefire, and movements – for example, humanitarian assistance – have been flowing without interruption, including into other areas. "So what is important is that they allowed or tolerated the fact that I, for example, met both. This is unprecedented and we asked the Troika to come and they all came. "That's certainly a good beginning because in all this sort of contentious issues, conflict issues, to find conflict resolution, we always start with engagement," he said. Anwar said he had also urged his Asean counterparts in Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia to engage through multiple channels such as military and diplomatic with the aim of achieving a full ceasefire and ensuring unhindered humanitarian assistance. On Saturday (May 24), Asean foreign ministers commended Malaysia's proactive leadership in reviving efforts to implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and facilitating constructive dialogue to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Earlier in May, Anwar initiated separate dialogues with Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), which marked a significant step towards fostering direct engagement between conflicting parties. The move has been seen as a potential breakthrough in Asean's mediation efforts. The 5PC was adopted by Asean in April 2021 following the military coup in Myanmar on Feb 1 that year. It calls for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive dialogue among all parties, the appointment of a special envoy, the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and for the envoy to be granted access to all stakeholders in Myanmar. Despite its significance, implementation of the consensus has largely stalled due to the junta's continued non-compliance, with the issue remaining a central concern in Asean's ongoing engagement with Myanmar. On the situation in Gaza, Anwar voiced support for a multilateral approach to reconstruction, proposing that Asean, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China could work together on an alternative to United States-driven plans. He stressed that any rebuilding efforts must reflect the will and aspirations of the Palestinian people. "The earlier proposal by the United States to treat Gaza as a separate entity is unacceptable. You cannot rebuild without the will of the people," he said. Anwar also reaffirmed Malaysia's strong stance on the Palestine issue and noted an evolving consensus within Asean for an immediate ceasefire, condemnation of atrocities and respect for human rights. "In Myanmar, even under military rule aid gets through but in Gaza the denial of basic food and medicine is allowed to persist. That is dehumanising," he said. The 46th Asean Summit is being held under Malaysia's 2025 Chairmanship theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability". This year also marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing Asean, following previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. – Bernama
The Star
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Malaysia in fresh bid for Myanmar peace
Peace matters: Mohamad arriving at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for an extended Asean Troika meeting on Myanmar. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: As Asean Chair, Malaysia is planning to head to Myanmar again for peace talks with the country's military junta, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said this time around, the Malaysian team will be presenting a list of requests from the various armed ethnic groups to Myanmar's State Administrative Council (SAC) leadership. 'We have already met with the respective stakeholders (in Myanmar) and we know their wishlist. Now, we want to present it to the SAC and wait for feedback,' he told reporters after chairing an extended Asean Troika meeting on Myanmar yesterday. Mohamad said peace talks are a continuous process, where negotiations have to be conducted from time to time in order to build mutual trust. 'Most importantly, we must build confidence and there has to be a bridge between warring factions there,' he added. He said the meeting, which was also attended by his Asean counterparts, has concluded that Myanmar-related matters must be handled carefully. 'Myanmar is a family within Asean and we have a responsibility to ensure that the country is in good condition. 'It is not that we want to interfere, but its internal affairs have become an issue to Asean nations,' he explained. Internal issues in Myanmar, such as ongoing civil war and transnational crime, have affected neighbouring countries, he said. 'We discussed ways to ensure that the SAC will abide by the Five-Point Consensus,' he said, pointing to the complexity of the Myanmar issue as it involves conflicts between the SAC and various different ethnic armed groups. 'This is the challenge in our negotiations, but all of our friends in Asean agreed that we need to continuously engage all sides in Myanmar,' Mohamad said. The Five-Point Consensus by Asean lays out a roadmap for peace and calls for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive national dialogue, humanitarian assistance and peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, it has been criticised for being ineffective in stopping violence in Myanmar. The Myanmar civil war, which was sparked by the coup d'etat by its military junta in February 2021, has created lawless border regions that have allowed criminal syndicates to set up 'scam parks', where foreign nationals are trafficked into the country and forced to commit scams.
