ASEAN foreign ministers push unified approach on Myanmar, border disputes

Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro said ASEAN foreign ministers are in consensus on pushing to resolve crises affecting member nations Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia.

“We have conducted discussions on evolving developments in Myanmar, and we affirm our commitment to advancing the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. We noted that any meaningful political progress can only take place in an environment of peace, security, and inclusivity supported by the cessation of violence and inclusive dialogue among all relevant stakeholders,” Lazaro said in a press briefing after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat, part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City, Cebu, on Thursday.

Lazaro said foreign ministers from the 11-member regional bloc reiterated their united position that the Five-Point Consensus remains the primary reference in addressing Myanmar’s political crisis and reaffirmed corresponding leaders’ decisions.

“We emphasized ASEAN's commitment and role to assist Myanmar in charting its future, a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis, which is both Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led, while reaffirming that Myanmar remains an integral part of ASEAN,” she said.

Lazaro added that ASEAN continues to affirm the importance of a free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible general election in Myanmar.

Since staging a coup on February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military has carried out a nationwide crackdown against opponents of its rule, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

The report said junta security forces have committed mass killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, and other abuses amounting to crimes against humanity. It added that freedoms of speech and assembly remain severely restricted.

Thailand-Cambodia border rift

On the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, Lazaro said ASEAN foreign ministers welcomed the joint statement from the Third Special General Border Committee meeting between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand on 27 December 2025.

“We called for its full and effective implementation with a view to promoting a peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, thereby contributing to peace and stability between the two countries in the wider area,” she said.

A report by Xinhua said the three-day Cambodia-Thailand Regional Border Committee secretariat meeting ended Thursday without reaching any consensus, citing Maly Socheata, spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense.

Held at the Poipet International Border Checkpoint between Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province and Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, the meeting involved Cambodia’s 5th Military Region and Thailand’s 1st Army Area under the observation of the ASEAN Observer Team.

Other raised issues

Lazaro said ASEAN leaders reiterated their strong commitment to upholding regionalism and multilateralism, as well as ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture, while emphasizing adherence to international law, shared values, and norms.

“We welcome the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its strategic plans last year and noted that this year marks the first year of its implementation. We welcome Timor-Leste's full and active participation as a member of ASEAN,” she said.

She added that ASEAN leaders underscored the continued relevance of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation as a foundational code of conduct for interstate relations in the region and a cornerstone of regional peace and stability.

ASEAN also welcomed the positive momentum and progress in ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

“We will endeavor to conclude the negotiations of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct that is in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, within this year,” she said.