Ma. Teresa Lazaro Meets Tin Maung Swe on Myanmar Civil War

Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Teresa Lazaro Meets Tin Maung Swe in Naypyitaw

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations special envoy on Myanmar, Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Teresa Lazaro met Myanmar counterpart Tin Maung Swe in the capital Naypyitaw on Thursday, Yahoo News Malaysia reported. The diplomatic engagement tackled the country’s ongoing civil war and the pressing issue of humanitarian access. Myanmar’s army-backed government wants a normalization of ties with the regional bloc after its leadership was barred from summits in 2021.

That exclusion followed the military coup that plunged the nation into turmoil. Since then, the conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million. State-run media reported that Tin Maung Swe told the envoy Myanmar was working to implement the bloc’s five-point peace plan in line with its national interests and sovereignty. Meanwhile, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar stated that Lazaro discussed ways to restore Myanmar’s original role and rights within the association. However, a statement from Lazaro’s office on her trip made no mention of any discussion regarding restoring Myanmar’s role.

Five-Point Consensus Lacks Meaningful Progress Since 2021

Following the 2021 military coup, the bloc has excluded Myanmar from high-level meetings because the administration has yet to make meaningful progress on the framework known as the Five-Point Consensus. During a meeting in April 2021, all association leaders reached a consensus about the situation.

The five points require an immediate cessation of violence and the exercise of utmost restraint by all parties. They mandate constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people. They direct a special envoy of the chair to facilitate mediation with the assistance of the secretary-general. They require the bloc to deliver humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre. Finally, they mandate that the special envoy and delegation visit Myanmar to meet with all concerned parties.

Diverging Official Accounts Over Special Envoy Mandate and Detained Leader

Contradictions marked the public messaging following the Naypyitaw meetings. Myanmar’s government asserted in August that there was no longer a need for a special envoy from the bloc. Despite this stance, foreign ministry talks proceeded on Thursday.

Lazaro also sought access to detained Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held since she was toppled from power in the coup. The official statement from Lazaro’s office made no mention of whether a meeting took place. However, Lazaro was quoted by the Philippine news outlet Bilyonaryo, which joined her on the trip, stating she asked about the situation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and received a positive response indicating she is doing well.