The Philippines, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it intends to deepen dialogue with opponents of Myanmar’s ruling military while remaining open to developments stemming from the country’s ongoing general elections, without formally endorsing the vote.
Official results from the first two rounds of Myanmar’s three-stage election show most parliamentary seats going to a party aligned with the military, ahead of a final round scheduled for Sunday. Turnout has been reported as low, though the junta has described the process as a public mandate that will restore political stability.
Philippines Stops Short of Backing Elections
ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar, Ma. Theresa Lazaro, said Manila does not support the elections but is watching closely how events unfold.
“We are not endorsing the elections,” Lazaro told Reuters in an interview. “But we remain open to what may emerge from these developments.”
Myanmar has been engulfed in violence since a 2021 military coup that ended a brief experiment with civilian rule, triggering mass protests that were violently crushed and later escalated into a civil war involving multiple armed resistance groups.
Critics, including several Western governments, have dismissed the election as a controlled exercise aimed at maintaining military power through allied civilian parties. ASEAN has not deployed election observers.
Stakeholders Meet in the Philippines
Lazaro said easing tensions, improving humanitarian access and encouraging political dialogue were key themes at a Manila-led “stakeholders’ meeting” held this week in Tagaytay.
Among those attending was the Chin National Front, which controls territory near Myanmar’s northern border with India. The group confirmed its participation and welcomed the outreach by ASEAN’s new chair.
“This was a positive meeting,” spokesperson Salai Van said, adding that early engagement by the Philippines had raised hopes for progress.
Myanmar’s military authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Lazaro confirmed that Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government had also taken part.
Engagement With All Sides Encouraged
The meeting followed Lazaro’s visit to Myanmar earlier this month, where she met junta leader Min Aung Hlaing. Philippine officials described those talks as constructive.
Lazaro said she hopes future discussions will include additional groups whose views should be heard during the Philippines’ term as ASEAN chair.
In a post on X, she said she was encouraged by what she described as active and meaningful exchanges on how to implement the ASEAN five-point consensus, the peace framework agreed by ASEAN and Myanmar in 2021.
She also suggested that extending the term of ASEAN envoys beyond the current one-year rotation could improve continuity, though such a change would require consensus among the bloc’s 11 members.
Peace Plan Stalls as Conflict Deepens
Despite diplomatic efforts, the five-point consensus has delivered limited results, aside from some gains in humanitarian access. Fighting continues across large parts of Myanmar, undermining prospects for a political settlement.
Last year’s ASEAN chair, Malaysia, expressed cautious optimism that outreach to multiple sides could eventually yield progress.
A resource-rich former British colony that has spent most of the past six decades under military rule, Myanmar is facing one of Asia’s most severe humanitarian crises. The United Nations says at least 3.6 million people have been displaced since the coup, with thousands killed in the ongoing conflict.