Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said ASEAN lacks a clear way to carry out its Myanmar peace consensus, The Straits Times reported after a Thursday audience Q&A in Singapore.
Sihasak said the Five-Point Consensus lacks a “clear-cut strategy on its implementation” and criticized meetings that reaffirm the agreement before leaving the annual special envoy to handle follow-up without guidance, the newspaper reported. He also said, “An isolated Myanmar is not good for the region,” according to The Straits Times.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Sihasak delivered the keynote address, titled “Can this be the ASEAN Moment?” The ministry said he proposed giving the rotating ASEAN chair a stronger role in convening urgent consultations and responding to emerging crises. The Straits Times also reported that he called for more flexible decision-making and a permanent mechanism involving past, current and incoming ASEAN chairs.
ASEAN adopted the Five-Point Consensus on April 24, 2021. The agreement calls for the parties to stop fighting and hold talks, with an ASEAN envoy mediating, the AHA Centre coordinating humanitarian assistance, and an envoy-led delegation meeting all sides.
In November 2022, ASEAN leaders noted little progress in implementing the consensus and asked foreign ministers to prepare a plan with assessable measures and a defined timetable. ASEAN’s 2023 review linked continued violence in Myanmar to prolonged suffering and a humanitarian crisis, and said it was affecting regional stability. In 2024, leaders reaffirmed that Myanmar would have non-political representation at ASEAN summits and foreign ministers’ meetings until concrete progress on the consensus.
ASEAN’s calendar lists an Extended Informal Consultation on implementing the Five-Point Consensus in Manila on Nov. 11.
