Latest news with #FivePointConsensus
The Star
4 days 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
4 days 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
4 days 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.
Malay Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysia to present ‘wishlist' to Myanmar junta in push for Asean-led resolution
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Asean Foreign Ministers have agreed that efforts to continue engaging with all stakeholders in Myanmar must persist to find a long-term solution to the protracted crisis in the country, which began with a military coup on Feb 1, 2021. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia, as Asean Chair, planned to visit Myanmar to formally present a 'wishlist' gathered from various stakeholders to the State Administration Council (SAC). 'As Chair of Asean, we plan to visit and talk to Myanmar because we have already met with people and different stakeholders. 'We know what the wishlist is, now we want to present to the SAC the wishlist of the stakeholders so later we will look at the feedback or response from the SAC,' he told the media here today. Earlier, Mohamad chaired the first Informal Consultative Meeting involving the previous Asean Chair, Laos; the current Chair, Malaysia; and the incoming Chair, the Philippines. The meeting will later be expanded to include all Asean Foreign Ministers, except Myanmar. Mohamad said the meeting also heard a report presented by the Special Envoy of the Asean Chair on Myanmar, Tan Sri Othman Hashim, regarding the latest developments in the country. He said Asean remained committed to ensuring Myanmar adhered to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) agreed upon by all Asean leaders in 2021. 'This 5PC is simple – cease all violence, initiate inclusive dialogue, allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered without hindrance, appoint an Asean Special Envoy, and allow the Special Envoy to meet all parties. 'However, the implementation of this consensus has faced difficulties due to a trust deficit and ethnic conflicts that have persisted for decades in Myanmar,' he said. Mohamad added that the crisis in Myanmar was not merely an internal matter, but had also affected the stability of the Asean region, including issues related to refugees and cross-border crimes. 'Asean does not wish to interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs, but as a large family, we have a responsibility to help. Myanmar's problem has now become our collective issue,' he said. Responding to a question on whether Asean would allow Myanmar to rejoin the bloc's political discussions, Mohamad said the country was not banned from full participation, but was currently only invited to attend non-political meetings. As the chair and host of Asean 2025, Malaysia will host the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits at the KLCC from May 26 to 27. In conjunction with the summit, two key high-level meetings - the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the Asean-GCC-China Summit will also take place, marking an important platform for expanded regional and inter-regional cooperation. Malaysia previously chaired Asean in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Myanmar delegation to take part in Asean Summit
The Myanmar delegation is led by its permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry, Aung Kyaw Moe. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Myanmar delegation, led by its permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry Aung Kyaw Moe, is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the 46th Asean Summit and related meetings. Kyaw Moe, who arrived yesterday morning, will lead the delegation during the high-level regional gathering taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. He is scheduled to take part in the Asean Senior Officials' Meeting today, as well as two key informal consultations related to the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, a regional peace plan first agreed upon in 2021, Bernama reported. The informal consultation on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus is expected to centre around Asean's continued efforts to address the protracted political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar following the 2021 military coup. Discussions will likely focus on the effectiveness and limitations of the current engagement framework, particularly the lack of tangible progress in halting violence, initiating inclusive dialogue, and delivering humanitarian aid. Member states may also explore alternative diplomatic approaches, including enhanced coordination with the Asean chair's special envoy, engagement with key stakeholders excluded from the peace process, and the possibility of expanding humanitarian corridors to reach affected communities. Myanmar remains suspended from high-level Asean meetings due to the military-led government's failure to implement the Five-Point Consensus, which was adopted by Asean in 2021 to address the crisis following the February coup. The consensus called for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive dialogue among all parties, the appointment of a special envoy, humanitarian assistance and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.
