SCEF sends Open Letter to ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Myanmar crisis

Mizzima

The Steering Committee for the Establishment of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF) announced 21 July that it has sent an open letter to the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair ahead of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings in Manila.

During a press conference on 20 July, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial confirmed that the Myanmar issue will be included in the meeting’s agenda.

The open letter says the current ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting comes at a critical juncture not only for Myanmar but for regional peace and ASEAN’s credibility, and urges effective implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus through result-oriented, measurable, and practical approaches.

SCEF said ASEAN must assess its engagement with Myanmar based on tangible outcomes, demanding an immediate halt to violence — including airstrikes against civilians — and unhindered, effective delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

SCEF also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, while urging support for a Myanmar-owned political process backed by appropriate monitoring mechanisms.

The letter said genuine pressure and escalating consequences should be imposed on the junta over its persistent failure to comply with ASEAN agreements, including reinstating ASEAN’s punitive measures such as barring high-ranking junta officials from attending meetings.

SCEF stressed that a sustainable political solution in Myanmar requires the meaningful participation of all stakeholders, including the National Unity Government (NUG), Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs), democratic forces, minority communities, and civil society organizations.

The letter also said SCEF — composed of democratically elected representatives and EROs — functions as an alliance-based leadership mechanism holding democratic legitimacy and territorial control in Myanmar, and said the committee remains ready to pursue constructive cooperation with regional and international partners.

The Permanent Secretary of the military junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is currently attending the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Although barred from participating at the ministerial level, he is present to conduct informal discussions.