ASEAN tackles Myanmar, Thailand-Cambodia crises

ASEAN tackles Myanmar, Thailand-Cambodia crises | Daily Tribune

Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said ASEAN foreign ministers are in consensus in pushing to resolve the 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 the foreign ministers of the 11-member regional bloc reiterated their united position that the Five-Point Consensus remains their primary reference in addressing the political crisis in Myanmar, and affirmed the corresponding decisions of ASEAN leaders.

“We emphasized ASEAN’s commitment and role in assisting Myanmar in charting its future and achieving 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 maintains its position on the importance of a free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible general election in Myanmar.

Since staging a coup on 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military has carried out a nationwide crackdown on people opposed to its rule, according to a Human Rights Watch report. The report said junta security forces have conducted mass killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence and other abuses that amount to crimes against humanity, while freedom of speech and assembly face severe restrictions.

No deal

On the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, Lazaro said ASEAN foreign ministers welcomed the joint statement from the Third Special General Border Committee meeting between Cambodia and 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 and the wider region,” she said.

A Xinhua report said a three-day Cambodia-Thailand Regional Border Committee secretariat meeting on border issues ended Thursday without reaching consensus, according to Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense.

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

Lazaro said ASEAN leaders reiterated their commitment to upholding regionalism and multilateralism, as well as ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture, and emphasized 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 note 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 progress in ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.