Myanmar Junta Presses ASEAN to Abandon Five-Point Consensus Peace Plan

Myanmar’s military regime is actively pushing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to abandon its Five-Point Consensus (5PC), claiming the peace framework is no longer relevant following the regime's self-orchestrated transition to an elected government.

The junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated on August 8 that there is no longer a need to appoint a new ASEAN special envoy once the current envoy’s term expires.

Claiming that "parliamentary politics" have been restored through recent elections, the regime maintains it is no longer under military rule and will not require further special envoy oversight.

Adopted in Jakarta in April 2021, the 5PC remains ASEAN’s primary framework to address Myanmar’s post-coup crisis.

It calls for an immediate end to violence, inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, humanitarian aid delivery, and the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy to facilitate talks.

Although coup leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing personally agreed to the consensus in 2021, the regime has consistently stalled its implementation.

Pro-democracy activists and resistance leaders warn that the junta's maneuver is designed to evade accountability and avoid recognizing opposing forces.

"The junta rejects the framework so strongly because accepting the 5PC would force it to recognize the National Unity Government (NUG) and hold an inclusive dialogue with revolutionary forces," said former student activist Ko Min Thway Thit.

He urged ASEAN to stand firm and intensify pressure rather than succumb to the regime's strategy.

To bypass collective ASEAN pressure, the regime has launched a bilateral charm offensive. Min Aung Hlaing—who assumed the presidency following a widely condemned election—has already visited Laos and Thailand and plans to visit other ASEAN member states.

Additionally, junta-appointed Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe met with Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Anh Duc on August 13 in Naypyidaw to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation.

Analysts suggest that while the junta may succeed in deepening ties with individual member states, dismantling the bloc-wide consensus will prove difficult.

"I don’t think the 5PC will disappear that easily," said U Toe Zaw Latt, secretary of the Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM). "We are likely to see the junta pursue more bilateral talks with individual ASEAN members, but a framework agreed upon by all members cannot simply be discarded."

ASEAN continues to uphold the 5PC as its core policy on Myanmar.

The bloc is expected to evaluate the junta's compliance and establish new assessment criteria during its upcoming summit in November.

Meanwhile, rights groups—including ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)—have called on member states to maintain the ban on junta leaders attending high-level ASEAN political summits until concrete progress is made.