Regime Contradicts Itself on ASEAN Peace Plan After Parliament Rejection

Myanmar’s military regime said Thursday it would uphold the Union Parliament’s decision to reject the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ peace plan for the country—a statement that directly contradicts junta Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe’s earlier acknowledgment of the bloc’s Five‑Point Consensus (5PC) during an informal meeting with his ASEAN counterparts earlier this month.

Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro, who chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat session this week, told reporters that Tin Maung Swe had insisted in Bangkok earlier this month that the consensus “still exists,” and denied that the military-backed legislature had rejected it.

“He sort of rejected it [the Parliament’s motion], denied it, he defended that the Five‑Point Consensus still exists,” Lazaro said. “So that whatever resolution that was passed in parliament then is practically negated because he mentioned to us that it’s no longer there. We are of the view that the Five‑Point Consensus is still there.”

Yet in its Thursday statement, Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said the government was bound to respect the Parliament’s urgent motion of July 9, which urged the Union Government to review and take necessary action against the 5PC. Lawmakers argued the plan undermined Myanmar’s sovereignty and equality within ASEAN, portraying it as an annex to a chair’s statement rather than a binding pact.

The statement reiterated that Myanmar would pursue normalization with ASEAN through a “Myanmar‑owned and Myanmar‑led process,” while upholding the country’s national interests and sovereignty. It also warned ASEAN to respect the bloc’s fundamental principles of non-interference and sovereign equality.

The 5PC, adopted in Jakarta in April 2021, calls for an immediate end to violence, inclusive dialogue, humanitarian aid, and envoy access. Myanmar’s military has ignored the agreement, prompting ASEAN to bar junta leaders from summits and restrict participation to non‑political representatives.

At Thursday’s press conference, Lazaro said Myanmar leaders’ return to high-level ASEAN meetings was “still far off,” citing “a lot of questions” about their implementation of the 5PC. She said ASEAN would develop benchmarks to measure progress, with failure to meet them constituting non‑compliance.

Lazaro, who also serves as ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar, plans to lead a humanitarian mission later this year, though she noted it was uncertain whether she would be granted access to detained leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN foreign ministers also discussed proposals for a permanent special envoy supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, replacing the current rotating arrangement. Lazaro said senior officials would deliberate further before presenting recommendations to leaders in November.

Despite Naypyitaw’s rejection, ASEAN leaders continue to insist the consensus remains the bloc’s roadmap. Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan reiterated calls for an end to violence against civilians, the release of political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and unfettered humanitarian access. Indonesia has likewise emphasized that the consensus is central to ASEAN’s credibility.

“The regime will not compromise, and ASEAN will not abandon the consensus. That leaves Myanmar’s politics at a deadlock,” said U Teik Naing, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to visit Thailand in early August. Bangkok has pledged to serve as a bridge between the regional bloc and Myanmar’s generals to facilitate the country’s reintegration.