Asean must reaffirm commitment to Myanmar's humanitarian crisis

AS Asean Foreign ministers gather in Kuala Lumpur from July 8 to 11, 2025, Mercy Malaysia renews its call for Asean to reaffirm its commitment to the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, particularly the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access to all communities affected by conflict. 

The Five-Point Consensus, adopted by Asean in 2021, remains the clearest pathway toward regional peace and stability in Myanmar. Yet its implementation remains uneven. Mercy Malaysia urges Asean to match political will with principled action, especially in ensuring that humanitarian aid is not subjected to delay, obstruction, or politicisation.

In a region increasingly defined by overlapping crises such as armed conflict, displacement, food insecurity and climate-related disasters, the humanitarian imperative cannot be treated as secondary. It must be central to Asean’s peace and security framework. Now more than ever, humanitarian access must be consistent, principled and grounded in the core values of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

In May 2025, Mercy Malaysia deployed a mobile medical response team to Kyaukse Township in Myanmar’s Mandalay Region following the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake. This operation marked Mercy Malaysia’s first mobile field medical deployment inside Myanmar and complemented earlier efforts by the Malaysian government. The mission demonstrated Malaysia’s enduring commitment to reach communities in need, wherever they are and regardless of political boundaries.

Over recent months, we have witnessed humanitarian convoys delayed at crossings while families beyond them remain without access to clean water, shelter or essential healthcare. This growing disconnect between intent and access illustrates the urgent need to translate compassion into coordinated, sustained action that reaches those most in need.

Mercy Malaysia calls on Asean to reaffirm its collective commitment to the full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, with particular emphasis on guaranteeing humanitarian access and upholding humanitarian principles.

Mercy Malaysia further calls for the institutional strengthening of the Special Envoy mechanism by transforming the role into a permanent, well-resourced position capable of sustained engagement and humanitarian diplomacy. The mechanism must be strengthened not only in name but also through structure, with a clear operational mandate, access to all stakeholders and adequate resources for long-term coordination.

Beyond institutional reform, the region must embrace a shared humanitarian culture that is proactive rather than reactive, rooted in empathy, informed by evidence and sustained by collective responsibility.

Humanitarianism can no longer be viewed as the responsibility of a few. It must become a shared regional ethos that sees suffering not only as a humanitarian emergency, but as a call for solidarity, structural justice and long-term engagement.

As Asean stands at a critical juncture, Mercy Malaysia urges its member states to uphold the bloc’s founding commitment to a people-centred Asean. Any lasting political resolution must be matched by an equally strong and principled humanitarian commitment, delivered not in isolation but as part of an integrated and accountable regional response.

MERCY MALAYSIA