Statement of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair in Response to Statements Made by some Members of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar

MANILA 19 July 2026 — The Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar regrets the malicious and misleading statement made by some members of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) issued on 18 July regarding the ASEAN Chair’s current approach towards the situation in Myanmar.

The Informal Meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers with Myanmar held on 12 July 2026 in Bangkok is a result of consultations among the ASEAN Foreign Ministers during their virtual Extended Informal Consultations last 21 May 2026. These meetings were held in accordance with the mandate given by the ASEAN Leaders during the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu to continue constructive and principled engagement with Myanmar, in line with the Five-Point Consensus (5PC).

During these consultations, ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed to meet with H.E. U Tin Maung Swe for a discussion on developments in Myanmar, including the way forward on the implementation of the 5PC, as well as prospects for the deployment of humanitarian assistance, in an effort to find concrete means of advancing the full and effective implementation of the 5PC.

These meetings form part of the Special Envoy’s mandate to pursue constructive dialogue among all parties concerned. It was not, and should not be mischaracterized as an abandonment of the 5PC. The path to peace can only be obtained through resolute diplomacy with all parties to the conflict.

The Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, reaffirms the 5PC as ASEAN’s primary reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar. In this regard, the Special Envoy remains committed to engaging with all parties concerned in an effort to implement the relevant action points in the 5PC, particularly the cessation of hostilities, facilitation of constructive dialogue, the mediation of the dialogue process, and expansion of humanitarian assistance in Myanmar.

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