ASEAN summit to delay decision on Myanmar's return to key meetings of bloc

The upcoming ASEAN summit in Manila, beginning Sunday, will likely not decide whether to readmit Myanmar to key political meetings within the bloc, according to diplomatic sources. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro disclosed this to Kyodo News the previous day, mentioning that the matter of potentially reintegrating Myanmar's leaders and ministers will be assigned to Singapore, which will assume the role of ASEAN chair in the following year.

ASEAN foreign ministers convened on Saturday to evaluate Myanmar's adherence to a five-point consensus aimed at ending the violence that has persisted since the 2021 military coup that ousted the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The consensus is an agreement to immediately cease violence and promote dialogue for a peaceful resolution.

However, the failure to make progress in implementing the consensus has led to Myanmar's exclusion from high-level ASEAN gatherings. Diplomatic sources also noted a dearth of positive developments concerning Suu Kyi, who was incarcerated post-coup and is now under house arrest for charges encompassing corruption. The current leaders are expected to contemplate a step-by-step approach to the gradual reinstatement of political representatives from Myanmar, based on the diplomatic sources.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump are among the notable personalities slated to participate in subsequent ASEAN-related events through Tuesday. ASEAN is a coalition consisting of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.