Asean should be ready to help Myanmar, says Marcos

Leaders from Asean attend a dinner hosted by Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Akasaka Palace State Guest House in Tokyo on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Asean and Japan celebrate the 50th anniversary of their friendship and cooperation in Tokyo through December 18. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool via AP)

TOKYO, Japan — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should be ready to assist Myanmar amid an ongoing military turmoil, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Sunday.

Speaking at the First Session of the Asean-Japan Summit here, Marcos emphasized that Myanmar was still a member of the Southeast Asian bloc.

The Philippines took over the 2026 Asean chairmanship from conflict-ridden Myanmar.

“We cannot also discuss peace and stability in our region without recognizing the need to address the worsening violence and the plight of the people of Myanmar through proactive engagement of all the stakeholders involved,” he said in a speech.

READ: Myanmar president: country at risk of breaking apart due to clashes

“While the seat beside us remains empty, Myanmar remains a member of Asean and, as a family, we should be ready to help in alleviating the situation through the Five Point Consensus, the United Nations mechanisms, as well as the AHA Center (Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management),” he added.

In 2021, Asean leaders agreed on the “Five-Point Consensus” to address the conflict in Myanmar. Among the five points of consensus was the call to an immediate stop to violence in that country.

READ: Marcos says Myanmar a difficult problem for Asean

Three years later, however, Myanmar still suffers from clashes between the military and juntas.

In the same speech at the Asean-Japan Summit’s first session, Marcos likewise recounted other challenges that the region faces, including the testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles by North Korea and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.