ASEAN excluded Myanmar from high-level summits due to a lack of meaningful implementation of its agreed Five-Point Consensus peace plan. However, nations like Thailand and Malaysia have maintained direct bilateral ties to address urgent practical concerns, including border management and the repatriation of thousands of citizens. Singapore's Foreign Minister has emphasized that any reintegration must require tangible steps, such as freeing political detainees and halting attacks against civilians. The bloc now faces the delicate task of measuring realistic harm-reduction milestones amidst a fragmented ongoing conflict.
Key points
Myanmar's political standing within the regional bloc remains a collective decision requi…: Myanmar's political standing within the regional bloc remains a collective decision requiring consensus among all member states.
Bilateral diplomatic engagements by neighboring countries threaten to undermine collectiv…: Bilateral diplomatic engagements by neighboring countries threaten to undermine collective restrictions without securing democratic progress from the junta.
Realistic peace benchmarks must prioritize measurable civilian protection and localized c…: Realistic peace benchmarks must prioritize measurable civilian protection and localized ceasefires over immediate nationwide violence cessation.
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Myanmar’s political reintegration into the Southeast Asian bloc should follow demonstrable progress, not be offered in the hope that progress will follow, says Joanne Lin from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
SINGAPORE: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Kuala Lumpur in October and said Malaysia would work toward Myanmar’s “full reintegration” into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). His remarks sharpened a question the 11-member grouping can no longer avoid.
Since April, Min Aung Hlaing has been received by Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Myanmar’s bilateral relations with a growing number of ASEAN members are becoming more normal, even as its political representation at ASEAN summits and meetings remains restricted.
ASEAN will not be able to reverse these contacts. Engagement with Naypyidaw is necessary for practical reasons and is also part of any attempt to implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), the peace plan agreed after the 2021 military coup.
However, the grouping needs to distinguish between engagement, bilateral normalisation and collective reintegration.
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