Four years after promising decisive action on Myanmar, the credibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is wearing thin, as its leaders issued yet another cautious call for peace.
Observers say the bloc’s repeated appeals now ring hollow and urge Asean to adopt a more assertive approach to end the conflict.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since its elected civilian government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was overthrown by the military junta in February 2021. The ongoing violence and civil war between rebel groups and junta forces have claimed 6,000 civilian lives and displaced more than 3.5 million people, according to the United Nations.
“Asean is still working on the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), which has not achieved its intended objective of moving forward. It must think outside the box in dealing with the junta,” former Malaysian diplomat Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar told Twentytwo13.
The 5PC, introduced after an Asean leaders’ meeting in Jakarta in 2021, called for an immediate end to violence, delivery of humanitarian assistance, dialogue among all parties, the appointment of a special envoy to Myanmar, and the envoy’s direct engagement with all stakeholders. Efforts to get Myanmar to comply have failed.
On Tuesday, Asean leaders called for an extension and expansion of the ceasefire in Myanmar, which ends on May 31, to allow for cessation of violence and delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance to those affected by the conflict and the March 28 earthquake.
In the same statement, they reaffirmed their commitment to continue using the 5PC as a reference in bringing peace to Myanmar.
“The Myanmar military junta will not change. Even during the ceasefire, the junta continues to carry out military operations. Humanitarian efforts also face many obstacles,” said Syed Hamid.
“We (Asean) seem to be accepting the realities on the ground and are not united in our position. We don’t have a collective or common position on global and geopolitical issues.”
On May 12, while the ceasefire was still in effect, junta forces bombed a school in Tabayin, located in the Sagaing region. The incident killed 20 students, two teachers, and left over 20 others injured.
Malaysia, the 2025 Asean Chair, in its first move to deal with the Myanmar conflict, appointed former Foreign Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Othman Hashim as its special envoy to Myanmar. Othman immediately flew to Naypyidaw to meet all stakeholders.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also named former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his unofficial Asean adviser to aid on regional issues, including Myanmar.
Last month, Anwar held a closed-door meeting with Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at one of the hotels owned by Thaksin in Bangkok, and a virtual discussion with representatives from Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government.
However, Syed Hamid warned such efforts may be in vain if Malaysia’s initiative ends when its chairmanship does.
“He (Othman) has done an excellent job engaging all stakeholders, and he should continue the various steps until some form of success is achieved,” said Syed Hamid.
Critics believe Asean’s rotating chairmanship and the absence of a permanent mechanism to address the Myanmar crisis undermine its effectiveness.
According to media reports, Asean foreign ministers agreed to create a permanent envoy for Myanmar during a meeting on Sunday.
The suggestion is that the envoy will serve a three-year term. At present, each new chair appoints a new envoy, often resulting in delays and resets in engagement efforts.
In their latest joint statement, Asean leaders pushed for 5PC implementation.
“It (5PC) should be implemented in its entirety to help the people of Myanmar achieve an inclusive and durable peaceful resolution that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led, thus contributing to peace, security and stability in the region,” the statement said.
“We urge all parties to immediately cease acts of violence against civilians and public facilities. We urge them to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence, denounce any escalation, exercise utmost restraint, and ensure the protection and safety of all civilians,” it added.
Charles Santiago, co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said if Asean is serious about stopping the bloodshed, it must engage with China, Russia, and India.
“The Myanmar junta’s impunity is made possible by the military, financial, and diplomatic backing it receives from China, Russia, and India. Without their support, the junta would struggle to sustain its war machine,” he said.
“China provides arms, infrastructure, and political cover. Russia supplies weapons and military training. India, while more cautious, has hedged its position and maintained security cooperation. These relationships must now become central to Asean’s diplomatic strategy.”
Santiago also urged the bloc to stop cloaking inaction in the language of diplomacy, adding, “Every delay, every vague statement, allows the violence to continue”.
“When Malaysia speaks forcefully about the killing of children in Gaza, it does so with moral clarity. The same must apply to Myanmar. Children killed in Sagaing deserve no less outrage, no less urgency, no less action.”
“If Asean wants to remain relevant, it must stop managing the crisis and start confronting it. That means engaging the powers who hold influence. That means leveraging the region’s military networks. And above all, it means moving beyond statements and taking responsibility,” he added.
