Philippine FM Lazaro rejects criticism over informal meeting with Myanmar's foreign minister, says it aligns with ASEAN consensus

Philippines pushes back against expert panel's claims that engagement undermines peace efforts

The Philippines has rejected sharp criticism from an expert advisory panel that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recent engagement with Myanmar's foreign minister weakened the bloc's peace efforts, insisting it remains committed to the Five-Point Consensus plan for managing the conflict.

As this year's ASEAN chair, the Philippines hosted an "informal meeting" with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Than Swe in Bangkok on July 12 — the first such engagement since the 2021 coup.

Expert Panel's Criticism

Following the meeting, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), an independent body of international experts, stated that ASEAN's decision to hold the meeting "rewarded the Myanmar junta's bloodshed and intransigence" and undermined the Five-Point Consensus.

The consensus, reached in April 2021 — two months after the military seized power — calls for:

• Immediate cessation of violence
• Inclusive dialogue involving "all parties" to the conflict
• Unhindered humanitarian access

However, in the five years since, the military has taken little action to implement the most critical elements of the plan.

In a statement co-signed by former Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, former Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, and three former UN experts on Myanmar, SAC-M argued that current ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Philippine Foreign Minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro, has "demonstrated a disastrous combination of timidity and poor judgment in her role" since taking office in early 2026.

SAC-M accused Lazaro of agreeing to the meeting "without extracting any concessions from junta leader and alleged war criminal Min Aung Hlaing."

"As war rages in Myanmar and the junta becomes increasingly entrenched, ASEAN's failure on Myanmar raises serious questions about the grouping's durability," SAC-M said. The statement concluded by calling for a "reset" at next week's ASEAN meetings in Pasay City, where foreign ministers will hold "expanded informal consultations" on implementing the Five-Point Consensus.

Philippine Response

In her response yesterday, Lazaro described SAC-M's claims as "malicious and misleading," stating the meeting was "part of the Special Envoy's mission to seek constructive dialogue with all parties to the conflict in Myanmar."

"This is not, and should not be misconstrued as, an abandonment of [the Five-Point Consensus]," Lazaro said, maintaining it remains ASEAN's "primary reference for addressing the political crisis in Myanmar."

"The path to peace can only be secured through determined diplomatic efforts with all parties to the conflict," she wrote.

Broader Divisions Within ASEAN

The exchange between Lazaro and SAC-M reflects wider disagreements over how ASEAN should approach Myanmar.

Since late 2021, the 11-member bloc has barred Myanmar's junta from summits due to lack of progress on the Five-Point Consensus. But in recent months, ASEAN has begun "measured engagement" with the military-backed new civilian government that took office in April — even as the Myanmar military continues deadly airstrikes and other military attacks nationwide. Additionally, the military-dominated Myanmar parliament recently passed a motion rejecting the Five-Point Consensus as ASEAN interference, calling it inconsistent with the country's "political reality."

While re-engaging with Naypyidaw may seem counterintuitive under these circumstances, the reality is that after five years, demands among ASEAN members for a tougher stance on Myanmar have diminished, with some members — particularly Thailand — pushing to bring Myanmar back into the "ASEAN family."

While SAC-M argues ASEAN should develop "a series of escalating consequences for the junta's continued non-compliance" in response to Myanmar's parliamentary rejection of the Five-Point Consensus, the necessary consensus among ASEAN members for such actions remains highly unlikely.

The most pressing question going forward, therefore, becomes what the Myanmar military is willing to offer ASEAN in exchange for full normalization of relations — and whether ASEAN will accept.