Singapore backs status quo on Asean approach to Myanmar; others call for review
[LABUAN BAJO, INDONESIA] It may take years before Myanmar’s crisis is resolved, but Asean should continue to engage the conflict-stricken country on a “non-political level” while pushing for a stop to the violence, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday (May 11).
This status quo – inviting Myanmar to participate in Asean meetings at a non-political level – has “a symbolic purpose as well as important practical consequences”, he told the Singapore media at the end of the 42nd Asean Summit in Labuan Bajo in Indonesia.
“That’s Singapore’s view. I think quite a number of other Asean countries share this view too.” he said. “But there are other views as well, and this is something which Asean will be discussing.”
His remarks came amid an apparent divergence in Asean leaders’ views on how to engage Myanmar – even as they eventually presented a united front.
Earlier that morning, Indonesian President and Asean chair Joko Widodo said that the implementation of the “five-point consensus” (5PC) has not made “significant progress”. In a closed-door retreat, he called for a review of the 5PC, while reiterating an appeal for unity.
The 5PC, agreed to among Asean leaders in April 2021, spells out a potential way out of Myanmar’s crisis. The peace plan calls for an immediate end to violence in the country, as well as “constructive dialogue” facilitated by a special envoy of the Asean chair.
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Several Asean member states are reportedly pushing for leniency towards Myanmar, although others are said to hold views similar to Singapore’s.
Nonetheless, in the chairman’s statement at the close of the summit on Thursday, Asean leaders reiterated that the 5PC remains their main reference on the crisis in Myanmar.
Speaking to reporters, PM Lee noted that the last time Myanmar faced similar political turmoil in its 1988 coup, it took more than 20 years before elections were finally held. “So I do not expect this time to be easier to solve, and we have to be patient.”
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“We must be able to maintain a consistent rational policy, in order to derive the best outcome for Myanmar and for Asean,” he added.
The lack of progress is no reason to change the format of Myanmar’s non-political participation, PM Lee told Singapore media. “If we now say: ‘Well, all right, we forget it and just carry on and go back to business as usual’, what have we achieved except to demonstrate that we have not made any progress and that we are now carrying on as if nothing is wrong?”
Still, the bloc should continue to engage Myanmar, offer humanitarian assistance and leave the door open, rather than “stand off forever”.
“The main thing in Myanmar is this is a domestic situation – it is a power struggle between different groups,” said PM Lee. “To them, it’s life and death. Asean influence is not huge and not their principal consideration. And we have to understand that.”
Nonetheless, in a troubled world, Asean remains a safety “life raft” for all members – and must thus be unified, cohesive, effective and central, he noted.
While each member state is small on its own, the bloc collectively has “a significant economic weight and is a voice which counts for something in regional affairs”, he said. Asean’s collective population is over 660 million, and its economy is the fifth largest in the world.
Its cooperation must have “substance”, he added: “That’s why we’re talking about upgrading our economic cooperation, talking about the green economy, talking about the digital economy, upgrading our FTAs (free-trade agreements) with New Zealand, Australia, with other countries as well.”
Asean’s cooperation with external partners – including East Asia, Europe, India and the United States – is facilitated by its “free and open” framework, dubbed the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, said PM Lee.
Formulated in 2019, this is an “inclusive omni-directional idea” that is not directed against any particular power, but is instead meant to enable Asean to cooperate with all of them.
“They will have contradictions, we know, but hopefully, by having Asean work with all of them, that generates some common ground among them, and that will put Asean in a position to be at the centre of regional affairs,” he said.
This lets Asean contribute to the regional balance of power, and therefore enables Asean centrality to work, he added.
Separately, when asked about Timor Leste’s accession to Asean, PM Lee said it is reasonable for the country to want to join the bloc, since it is within South-east Asia, and not doing so would look like an “anomaly”.
“If you ask the member countries of Asean: ‘Would you like to have Timor-Leste in?’ Everybody would say yes.” he said. “But do we think Timor-Leste is ready to come in yet? Well, we think that will take some time.”
This is because Asean has grown in “so many directions” over the years with cooperation, agreements and projects spanning various fields. It would also take time for Timor-Leste to accede to the 66 agreements that Asean currently has.
Asean members, including Singapore, are helping Timor-Leste with capacity-building, he said.
“Because to start off with, you must have your officials and the know-how and the expertise, so that you can participate in the meetings and make a sensible contribution or even to uphold your own interest and negotiate in an informed way, so that we can reach a proper outcome,” he said.
Since the launch of the Singapore-Timor-Leste Asean readiness package last December, 800 Timorese officials have attended workshops in the city-state.
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