Shawdesh Desk:

The statement on Myanmar issued by the ASEAN leaders is utterly disappointing, as it does not introduce any improvement to the extremely flawed Five Point Consensus signed in April 2021, said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chair Charles Santiago.

He made the remarks on the review of the Five Point Consensus on Myanmar by the ASEAN leaders during their summit in Cambodia, and their inability to change course in addressing the crisis in the country.

In a statement, the APHR Chair said there is an almost universal agreement that the Consensus is an unmitigated failure, but the ASEAN leaders are proving unable or unwilling to move beyond it, committing themselves to an agreement that is clearly insufficient to address the crisis afflicting Myanmar since the illegal coup staged by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing 19 months ago.”

“While the Myanmar military continues committing all kinds of atrocities in order to take control of the country, plunging the country into chaos and ruining its economy, ASEAN is proving incapable to address the crisis in any impactful manner, thus further emboldening Min Aung Hlaing and his henchmen,” Charles Santiago, who is also a former member of Parliament in Malaysia.

“Time is running out for millions of Myanmar people resisting military rule and suffering under the murderous junta, and ASEAN is not doing anything beyond issuing tepid statements of concern and making symbolic gestures.”

“If ASEAN member states were serious about helping the Myanmar people in their hour of direst need, they would ditch altogether the failed Five Point Consensus; negotiate a new agreement with the National Unity Government (NUG), the legitimate authority of Myanmar; put real pressure on the generals with sanctions, a comprehensive arms embargo and travel bans; and address the humanitarian needs of the Myanmar population by delivering aid through civil society organizations. Until it does these things, ASEAN will keep discrediting itself in the eyes of the world,” reads the statement of the APHR Chair.