ASEAN Calls On Myanmar To Fully Implement Five-Point Consensus Before Holding Elections

By Samantha Tan

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- ASEAN has urged Myanmar to fully comply with the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as a prerequisite for holding any elections in the country, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said ASEAN has conveyed a clear, strong, and consistent message to Myanmar that any discussion on elections must take place only after the full implementation of the 5PC.

“There's no point having an election if it is partially participated in by people of Myanmar. That will aggregate the situation. As far as ASEAN is concerned, we very much insist upon this 5PC to be fulfilled by the State Administration Council (SAC).

“That (the election) is not a priority of ASEAN. What is the point if it is all just a whitewash to cover up in the eyes of the international community? So there is no point,” he told a press conference here today, ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit tomorrow.

In May 21, Myanmar's Union Electoral Commission (UEC) has stated that the election date has been tentatively set and will be announced soon, following the SAC's announcement that the election would be held in December.

Mohamad also stressed that the 5PC remains the cornerstone of efforts to resolve Myanmar’s deepening political crisis, and called on the country's military leadership to demonstrate a serious commitment to its implementation.

He said the bloc also expects the SAC  to act in good faith, as they were one of the signatories to the consensus.

Only after an inclusive negotiation process is achieved can Myanmar move towards forming a truly democratic government, he said.

“There is no need for external intervention beyond that. This is an internal ASEAN issue, and ASEAN must be the one to solve it. But we do welcome any form of support from outside parties, especially when it comes to delivering humanitarian aid to those in need,” he said.

Mohamad also said that the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held earlier today had agreed for ASEAN to undertake internal consultations on the proposal to appoint a permanent ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar for a three-year term, a move aimed at ensuring continuity and sustained engagement in addressing the protracted crisis.

He said ASEAN agreed to explore the proposal amid growing frustration with the current approach, where the Special Envoy changes annually based on the rotating chairmanship - an arrangement that has delayed progress and disrupted momentum.

Responding to questions on whether the bloc’s longstanding non-interference principle has limited its ability to address Myanmar’s internal conflict, Mohamad maintained that the policy still stands.

However, he noted that the consequences of the ongoing unrest are no longer confined to Myanmar alone and that ASEAN’s concern with the Myanmar situation is not about violating sovereignty, but about addressing the broader fallout affecting the entire region.

“It has become a transnational problem, involving border crimes, money laundering, and job scams. Malaysia alone is now managing more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees.

“This isn’t about interfering in their internal affairs. This has already become a regional issue within ASEAN,” he clarified.

-- BERNAMA