Prioritise Peace Ceasefire Over Elections Asean Tells Myanmar Junta

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Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan speaking at a press conference after chairing the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat today.
LANGKAWI: Asean has urged Myanmar’s military government to prioritise peace in the country through dialogue sessions and a ceasefire agreement, instead of holding elections.
Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said Asean leaders, who are in Langkawi to attend a ministerial-level retreat, have called on all parties to immediately stop hostilities and allow humanitarian access.
“We want to know what they (Myanmar) have in mind (in terms of elections). Not knowing what they have in mind is very difficult,” he told a press conference after chairing the meeting.
“One thing that we know, is they want to have elections. However, we told them, the election is not a priority at the moment. The priority now is for a ceasefire.
“And I don’t think that it is a very difficult task for them to fulfil. (It is also) their obligation as a member of Asean.”
Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 2021 when its military overthrew the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy.
The coup sparked widespread protests and civil unrest across the country, leading to violent crackdowns by the military junta that saw hundreds of thousands displaced.
Despite widespread international condemnation and internal strife, the junta has announced plans to hold an election this year, which critics argue is a ploy to maintain military rule under the guise of democracy.
Earlier today, Mohamad announced the appointment of Othman Hashim as the Asean chair’s special envoy to Myanmar.
Mohamad said Othman will be visiting Myanmar “soon”, while Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn, at a separate group interview, revealed that Myanmar had already agreed to receive the special envoy.
In response to questions about a permanent special envoy, Kao explained that a non-permanent special envoy is in line with Asean’s long-standing practice, as it allows each member state to contribute to the bloc’s diplomatic efforts.
Asean seeks to expedite COC negotiations
Mohamad said that Malaysia is working hard to ensure Asean’s negotiations with China on the code of conduct (COC) governing the use of the South China Sea progresses according to schedule.
Asean and China pledged in 2002 to create a COC, but discussions and progress have been slow. In 2023, Asean and China reportedly agreed to wrap up talks on the code by 2026.
In a Bernama report, Mohamad said Asean foreign ministers emphasised the need to conclude an effective and substantive COC at the earliest opportunity in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.
“We are trying our very best to ensure that the negotiations proceed according to schedule,” he said when asked whether the COC could be adopted during Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean this year.
Mohamad added that Asean foreign ministers were concerned about the spillover effects in the region if the rivalry between the US and China intensified.
When asked about the phone call between US president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping on Friday, Mohamad said it was “good news for them to talk”.
Mohamad also congratulated Trump on his inauguration and return to office tomorrow, adding that he hopes the world will become “more stable and peaceful”. - FMT

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