The pain that won’t go away

Remembering the struggle: In this photo taken on March 3, 2021, protesters are making a barricade across a road with longyi (the Myanmarese sarong) in a rally against the military coup in Yangon that began in February. Asean has been trying since then to get all parties to the table to come up with a solution to the situation. — Filepic/AFP

MYANMAR continues to be a challenge for Asean.

Since the military took power in a coup in February 2021, Asean has been struggling to get the junta to come on board and fully adhere to the five-point consensus (5PC) plan drawn up in April 2021 by the regional grouping and agreed to by the junta.

The 5PC was put together to tackle the crisis that has seen acts of violence against civilians and millions of people displaced.

The five points are an immediate end to violence, holding dialogue among all parties to seek a peaceful solution, allowing humanitarian assistance, the appointment of a special envoy to the Asean Chair, and allowing the special envoy to visit Myanmar to meet with all parties.

Since then each rotating Asean Chair has been taking their own steps to deal with the crisis, including Indonesia’s touted quiet diplomacy during its chairmanship two years ago.

The early optimism that Indonesia could bring results ended in disappointment and the issue remained unresolved.

This year, when Malaysia took over as Asean Chair, there has been much hope that we will see some positive movement on the prolonged crisis.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan readily admits it is a complicated issue.

“One year is not enough because Myanmar has been fighting internally for decades. I have told my counterparts it is not possible to resolve within one year.

“But at least during our chairmanship, we managed to bring the stakeholders to meet in Kuala Lumpur,” he told this writer.

Mohamad, in his reply in Dewan Rakyat, recently said that when Kuala Lumpur hosted the first meeting among the warring ethnic groups, they refused to look at each other.

“The second time in May, they were able to sit in the same room and talk. There is a wishlist from them for the [interim] government,” he added.

It is understood the first item on the list is the release of political prisoners. According to various media reports the interim government has been releasing political prisoners but many more remain locked up.

Early in October, Mohamad, in his capacity as Chair of the Foreign Ministers Meeting, went to Naypyidaw and met with chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) and acting President of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Prime Minister and Union Minister for National Planning U Nyo Saw, and Union Minister of Foreign Affairs U Than Swe.

The SSPC was formed a few months ago and is a rebranding of the State Administration Council which governed Myanmar after the 2021 coup. The SSPC will oversee the country’s general elections in December.

During their 47th Summit in KL recently, Asean leaders discussed developments in Myan-mar and expressed their continued concern over ongoing conflicts, a dire humanitarian situation, and lack of progress in implementing the 5PC. The leaders also took note of Myanmar’s plan to hold general elections and underscored the importance of free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible general elections.

“We emphasise that the cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue must precede elections,” the leaders said in a statement issued at the end of the summit after reviewing the implementation of the 5PC.

That’s the Asean way of “reprimanding” Myanmar, unlike the blunt reply by United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres when asked about the planned elections when he was in KL.

“I don’t think anybody believes that those elections will be free and fair. I don’t think anybody believes those elections will contribute to the solution of the problems of Myanmar. I think this is the moment in which we need to increase humanitarian assistance, stop the violence, and at the same time pave the way for a political evolution leading to civilian rule and respect for a constitutional form of government,” said Guterres.

As the SPPC is planning to hold the elections, Asean should ask itself if the junta is really implementing the 5PC to its best ability.

All eyes will be on Myanmar’s general elections, and the results may require Asean to strategise the grouping’s approach should a new government be formed.

Asean leaders at the summit continued to uphold the decision that Myanmar’s representation at Asean Summits and Foreign Ministers’ Meetings should remain non-political representation until there is meaningful implementation of the 5PC. Myanmar representation at these meetings has been kept at the Foreign Ministry’s permanent secretary level since the coup.

To some extent, Malaysia as Chair has done quite substantive work and opened the door for the next Chair to intensify engagements with all interested parties in advancing peace in Myanmar.

This momentum needs to be maintained even though the road is long and winding.

“I hope the Philippines will be able to continue what Malaysia has done this year. Previously it was near to impossible to get the warring groups to meet,” Mohamad said.

On Friday Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced the appointment of his Foreign Secretary, Theresa Lazaro, as the Philippines’ Special Envoy on Myanmar.

“Secretary Tess, you better get this done. I already made a promise to everyone,” Marcos Jr was quoted as saying by the Philippines media.

During Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, a proposal was made for the position of a special envoy on Myanmar to be made permanent or on a fixed tenure.

Officials say Lazaro’s appointment shows that Manila sees the urgency to maintain the momentum and the need to appoint a special envoy.

“That is one of the top priorities for them. It is not a surprise that the foreign secretary is appointed because it means they are taking the Asean view that the person must be credible and have some clout in terms of influencing the stakeholders,” said an official.

The official said when Indonesia was Chair in 2023, a special envoy’s office was set up and headed by the foreign minister.

“It is not pouring cold water on Malaysia’s proposal for a permanent envoy. That is a subject for discussion for Asean but we have to wait for that discussion to conclude, like the term of the envoy and other matters.

“That is a work in progress. It could probably take half way through the Philippine chairmanship. Lazaro as the Foreign Secretary will have a lot on her plate,” said another official.

Asean leaders have already instructed their senior officials to deliberate on the proposal of a longer-term Asean special envoy on Myanmar when they meet in January.

Mohamad said the senior officials will report to the foreign ministers who in turn will report to the leaders at their next summit in Manila.

So many questions to be answered, so much effort still waiting to be implemented while millions of people are still suffering.

Myanmar persists to be a problem that just refuses to go away for Asean.