Manila: The Philippines is hosting a meeting of political and ethnic groups from Myanmar. The Philippines, as the ASEAN chair, welcomed political and ethnic groups from Myanmar to a 'Stakeholders' Meeting,' which the Philippine Foreign Minister described as an effort to push forward ASEAN's long-stalled peace plan in Myanmar.
According to Thai News Agency, Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Teresa Lazaro, who this year serves as ASEAN's Special Envoy for the Myanmar crisis, did not specify the groups participating or the exact time of the meeting. However, she stated via the X platform that she encouraged all groups to share constructive and meaningful perspectives on implementing ASEAN's Five Consensus Points, the peace plan for Myanmar agreed upon in 2021.
Lazaro revealed that the discussions covered efforts to de-escalate violence, facilitate the delivery of aid, address transnational crime, and promote political dialogue. Myanmar remains reeling from conflict since the 2021 coup, which escalated into a civil war between the military and opposition groups. While the military is holding a general election, widely criticized as a mere sham to perpetuate its power through civilian representation, ASEAN has not sent any observers to the election.
Despite some progress in humanitarian aid, the ASEAN peace plan is largely considered a failure due to continued intense fighting in many areas and Myanmar's military government's continued refusal to negotiate with opposition groups it designates as "terrorists." The Philippines will assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, and this political dialogue is taking place just one week before ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on the island of Cebu in central Philippines.