ASEAN, Dialogue Partners Push Ceasefire, Talks In Myanmar, Say Elections Not A Priority

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- ASEAN and its dialogue partners have asserted that holding elections in Myanmar is not a current priority, emphasising instead the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire and inclusive dialogue to de-escalate the ongoing crisis.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the focus remains on fully implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), which calls for, among other things, an immediate end to violence, the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and inclusive political dialogue involving all stakeholders in Myanmar.

“Our concern is that election is not a priority at the moment. Our priority is to (achieve) ceasefire, to de-escalate, and to talk to each other – to have a dialogue with all the factions and stakeholders,” he told reporters after chairing the 15th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on Friday.

He said the 5PC, adopted by ASEAN in 2021, does not include elections as a condition, despite Myanmar’s recent proposal to hold one.

Mohamad added that conducting elections without the participation of all parties would worsen the situation and prolong instability in the region.

“There’s no point in having a partial election. It won’t solve the problem – it will only make things worse,” he said.

He said ASEAN, through each of its chairs, had appointed special envoys to engage with all stakeholders in Myanmar and to push for broader, sustained ceasefire commitments.

“It must be expanded across Myanmar so that all its people can return to a normal life,” he said.

On May 25, Mohamad said ASEAN has urged Myanmar to fully comply with the 5PC as a prerequisite for holding any elections in the country.

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.

Meanwhile, Mohamad said the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Friday had unanimously agreed to draft several new declarations to be adopted in October.

“As the Prime Minister said during the opening of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings recently, we do not want to keep issuing statement after statement without taking any concrete action.

“We want to ensure that the EAS or this grouping of East Asian countries can be strengthened and translated into a broader and more effective platform,” he said.

Since its establishment in 2005, Mohamad said the EAS has served as an important platform for enhancing regional cooperation, especially in the wake of the Asian Financial Crisis and the outbreak of diseases such as avian influenza.

“The establishment of the EAS alongside ASEAN was an effort and an idea to enable closer cooperation among countries, and to find ways of reaching consensus, particularly when facing disasters and challenges such as the Asian Financial Crisis,” he said.

The EAS is a regional platform that facilitates dialogue and cooperation among its member countries on a wide range of strategic, political, and economic issues of common concern and interest, aimed at ensuring peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia.

It comprises 18 participating countries, including the 10 ASEAN member states, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.

-- BERNAMA