KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, as chair of Asean this year, is planning another visit to Myanmar at an unspecified date for peace talks with the country’s military junta, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Foreign Minister stated that the Malaysian team will present a list of requests from various armed ethnic groups to Myanmar’s State Administrative Council (SAC) leadership.
"We already met with the respective stakeholders in Myanmar and we know their wishlist. Now, we want to present it to the SAC.
"We will see what is the SAC’s feedback," said Mohamad when met by reporters after chairing an extended Asean Troika meeting on Myanmar, held on the sidelines of the Asean Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Saturday (May 24).
Mohamad emphasised that peace talks are a continuous process, requiring regular negotiations to build trust and confidence among all parties.
"Most importantly, we must build confidence among one another and there has to be a bridge between warring factions there," he added.
Mohamad noted that the extended troika meeting, attended by his counterparts from Asean, concluded the importance of handling Myanmar carefully.
"Myanmar is a family within Asean and we have a responsibility to ensure that Myanmar is in a good condition. It’s not that we want to interfere in Myanmar affairs, but its internal affairs have become an issue for Asean nations," said Mohamad.
According to Mohamad, internal issues in Myanmar, such as ongoing civil war and transnational crime, have affected neighbouring countries.
"Refugees from Myanmar, transnational crimes and other issues are affecting peace in Asean. So, we discuss how to ensure the SAC abides by the Five-Point Consensus," said Mohamad.
Mohamad explained that the Five-Point Consensus called for an end to hostilities against its people, allowing humanitarian aid into the country, and dialogues with all warring factions.
Meanwhile, Mohamad acknowledged that the Myanmar issue is complex, involving conflicts between the SAC and various ethnic armed groups.
"This is a challenge in our negotiations but, god-willing, all of our friends in Asean agreed that we need to continuously engage all sides in Myanmar," he added.
The Five-Point Consensus by Asean lays out a roadmap for peace, calling for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive national dialogue, humanitarian assistance, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
However, the Five-Point Consensus has been criticised for being ineffective in stopping violence in Myanmar.
The Myanmar civil war, sparked by the coup d’état 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 online scams.
Leaders in the region will meet during the 46th Asean Summit on May 26, and the summits with the Gulf Cooperation Council and China on May 27.
