Lazaro: ASEAN not easing approach to Myanmar

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has no plans to ease its implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar for now, despite proposals to allow the…

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has no plans to ease its implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar for now, despite proposals to allow the country's political leaders to participate again in high-level ASEAN meetings.

This was clarified by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who also serves as the ASEAN 2026 Ministerial Chair and Special Envoy on Myanmar, following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) on Saturday, November 14.

“To answer you bluntly, there is no easing. There’s still the five-point consensus,” Lazaro told a news conference.

Lazaro was asked specifically about Thailand’s proposal to allow Myanmar’s foreign minister to return to ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, following years of restrictions.

Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, ASEAN has limited the country’s participation in high-level meetings to non-political representatives, citing the lack of significant progress in implementing the Five-Point Consensus.

The Five-Point Consensus was adopted by ASEAN in 2021 to address the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

The agreement calls for an immediate cessation of violence, inclusive dialogue among all parties concerned, mediation facilitated by an ASEAN special envoy, humanitarian assistance, and a visit by the special envoy to meet with all parties involved in the conflict.

However, its implementation remains a major challenge as armed conflict continues in Myanmar, along with a worsening humanitarian crisis.

According to Lazaro, several proposals have been raised by ASEAN member states as part of the ongoing review of the Five-Point Consensus, but no final decision has been reached on whether existing restrictions should be changed.

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