PHNOM PENH - Asean foreign ministers have registered their disappointment that plans to resolve the political crisis in Myanmar have hardly made progress, amid a lack of commitment by the country's authorities to implement a peace plan.
The ministers, in a joint communique issued on Friday (Aug 5), also proposed that Asean leaders at their summit in November take stock of the military junta's progress in implementing the Five-Point Consensus, in order to decide on the best way forward.
The document said the ministers, who met on Wednesday, extensively discussed recent developments in Myanmar, including the execution of four opposition activists last month.
The ministers said they "were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment" of the Naypyitaw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
"We recommended that the Asean Summit assesses the progress towards the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus by the State Administration Council to guide the decision on the next steps," they added.
This is the second time in a row that an Asean joint communique, which usually avoids referring to the domestic situation in a member country, has devoted a paragraph to the political situation in Myanmar, and the first time it has used such strident language.
The consensus was drawn up in April last year to bring an end to the chaos following the February 2021 military coup that has killed more than 2,000 people.
Its five points are: an immediate end to violence in the country, dialogue among all parties concerned, the appointment of an Asean special envoy to facilitate mediation, the provision of humanitarian assistance by Asean, and a visit by the special envoy to Myanmar to meet all parties.
"We reiterated our commitment to peace and stability in the region and expressed Asean's readiness to assist Myanmar in a positive, peaceful and constructive manner, including in the delivery of humanitarian assistance," the communique said.
"We agreed that the special envoy of the Asean chair on Myanmar shall engage all Myanmar relevant stakeholders at the earliest."
The communique also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Asean ministers said that they continue to reaffirm their respect for sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.
Reiterating calls for compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter, the communique said that the leaders underlined the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the creation of an enabling environment for the peaceful resolution of conflict.
The ministers also called for "the facilitation of rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations", the document said.
The situation in the South China Sea was also discussed, and the ministers expressed concerns that some activities and incidents have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region.
"We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation," said the communique.
"We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea and recognised the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability and prosperity," it added.
The document touched on the bloc's ties with its partners as well, and underscored that the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with Asean should be meaningful, substantive and mutually beneficial.
Such agreements, which elevate ties with the region to a higher level, were made with Australia and China last October.
Asean leaders had in May agreed to work on such an upgrade with the United States, and the communique said Asean looks forward to an Asean-US CSP at the summit this November.
The ministers also said they were encouraged by discussions on India's proposal to establish a CSP with Asean, and looked forward to the establishment of an Asean-India CSP in November as well.
Singapore co-chaired a meeting the Asean ministers had with India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Facebook that there was strong support to establish the CSP by November.
