Philippines Convenes Myanmar Political Groups in Bid to Revive ASEAN Peace Effort

The Philippines, serving as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has hosted a closed-door meeting involving key political actors from Myanmar as part of a renewed push to advance the bloc’s stalled peace initiative.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who recently assumed the role of ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar, said the discussions focused on reducing violence, improving humanitarian access and encouraging inclusive political dialogue. The meeting took place in the Philippine city of Tagaytay earlier this week.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro attends the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

In a post on social media, Lazaro said participants were urged to engage constructively on implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, the peace framework agreed with Myanmar’s leaders in 2021 but widely criticised for its lack of progress.

The gathering followed Lazaro’s visit to Myanmar earlier this month, during which she met junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Philippine officials described those talks as cordial and aimed at opening channels for dialogue.

A Philippine foreign ministry official confirmed that Myanmar’s military government was not represented at the Tagaytay meeting and said the identities of participants were being kept confidential at their request. He said, however, that “important political groups” had taken part.

Myanmar has been engulfed in violence since the military seized power in a 2021 coup that ended a decade of partial civilian rule. The subsequent crackdown on protests spiralled into a nationwide conflict between the armed forces and a broad coalition of resistance groups.

Despite limited gains in humanitarian access, ASEAN’s peace plan has struggled to gain traction, with fighting continuing across large parts of the country. The Philippines’ efforts build on outreach by Malaysia, last year’s ASEAN chair, which sought to engage multiple sides in the conflict.

The crisis has triggered one of Asia’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. Thousands have been killed and around 3.6 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations.

The diplomatic push comes as Myanmar conducts a phased general election organised by the military. Two rounds of voting have already taken place, with preliminary results showing strong gains for parties aligned with the armed forces. A final round is scheduled for Sunday.

The junta has portrayed the vote as a step toward stability, though turnout has reportedly been low. ASEAN has declined to send election observers, and critics—including some Western governments—have dismissed the process as designed to entrench military control.

One group that confirmed its participation in the Tagaytay talks, the Chin National Front, an ethnic armed organisation operating near Myanmar’s border with India, welcomed the initiative. A spokesperson described the meeting as encouraging and praised the Philippines for engaging a wide range of stakeholders early in its ASEAN chairmanship.

“This was a positive start,” the spokesperson said, adding that there was cautious optimism that dialogue could gain momentum.