ASEAN calls for reduction of tension in Myanmar
De-escalation of tension, need for dialogue cited in Myanmar situation
MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. expressed solidarity with the ASEAN Chair and other leaders calling for the de-escalation of conflict in Myanmar, pursue dialogue among concerned parties as well as mediation through a special envoy to be named by ASEAN as well as the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the peoples of Myanmar.
In a statement released today, the DFA said Secretary Locsin supported the ASEAN consensus to appoint either the ASEAN Secretary-General or the ASEAN Chair to visit Myanmar and initiate talks among the concerned parties, hoping to improve the situation on the ground.
The DFA said the Meeting was conducted in a candid, family-style manner where ASEAN member states expressed their concerns on the rising death toll and the escalating violence against non-combatants, civilians after the takeover of the government by the Myanmar Armed Forces, also known as Tatmadaw.
Secretary Locsin said ASEAN came together in support of the Philippines during the 1986 EDSA Revolution and called for all parties in Myanmar to restore national unity and resolve the crisis peacefully.
Myanmar’s Chairman of the State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said his country is determined to restore peace and stability to improve the current conditions and they would consider ASEAN’s positive and sound proposals, taking into account their domestic situation.
He also had a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi upon his arrival in Jakarta. Secretary Locsin attended a Working Dinner with some ASEAN Foreign Ministers, held last Friday, April 23 at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in preparation for the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting.
The Leaders’ Meeting was the first face-to-face event to be convened involving ASEAN heads of state, heads of government, and their special representatives since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Melo M. Acuña)
Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. representing President Rodrigo Duterte to the ASEAN Leaders' Summit over the weekend and his bilateral meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Minister Retno Marsudi. (DFA Supplied photos)