LANGKAWI: Asean foreign ministers have stressed to Myanmar that it is more important to bring about peace in the country rather than hold a national election, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
“One thing we know is that they [Myanmar] want to hold an election. But we told them, look, that is not the priority.
“The priority is to stop the violence and reinstate peace,” he said at a press conference held after the Asean Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat here yesterday.
Mohamad said Myanmar’s military stated that it is ready for polls, to which Asean pointed out that it was important for the election to be inclusive.
“The election has to involve all segments of stakeholders. If you want to have an election that only represents certain segments in Myanmar, I don’t think that is the priority,” he said.
Mohamad said Asean wants Myanmar to have a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid be given to all segments of society there.
“It is very simple. I don’t think it is a difficult task to fulfil. Myanmar has to fulfil their obligation as a member of Asean,” he said.
Myanmar announced the junta’s 2025 election roadmap in December last year, but local Opposition groups have rejected the election plans, questioning their legitimacy.
Representing Myanmar at the AMM Retreat was its permanent secretary to the Foreign Affairs Ministry Aung Kyaw Moe.
This is the second time Myan-mar sent a senior government official as its representative to an Asean meeting. Asean barred Myanmar junta leaders from its summits after the February 2021 coup, but last year, for the first time in three years, it was allowed to send a senior Foreign Ministry official to a three-day Asean summit in Vientiane, Laos.
Mohamad said there were suggestions Asean should revisit the five-point consensus that was adopted in April 2021.
“But there is a mandate by our leaders. Anything that we want to amend, we have to get a fresh mandate from our leaders.
“The five-point consensus is not that difficult. It is just a matter of stopping violence and hostility against their people,” he explained.
The five-point consensus by Asean laid 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 as been criticised for being ineffective in stopping violence in Myanmar.
