MANILA — The Philippines, serving as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it is looking to expand dialogue with opponents of Myanmar’s military junta as part of efforts to advance regional peace initiatives, Reuters reported.
In an interview, ASEAN special envoy on the Myanmar crisis, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, said Manila expects to engage more political and ethnic groups from Myanmar and remains open to developments surrounding the country’s ongoing general elections — though the Philippines has not endorsed the vote.
Official results from the first two of Myanmar’s three‑phase elections show a majority of seats won by a party allied with the military, despite low voter turnout and widespread criticism from Western governments that the polls are a one‑sided effort to legitimize army rule. ASEAN has not sent observers to monitor the elections.
Lazaro’s comments came as Manila hosted a “stakeholders’ meeting” in Tagaytay this week, bringing together various political and ethnic groups from Myanmar to discuss de‑escalation, humanitarian aid access and political dialogue under the stalled ASEAN Five‑Point Consensus peace plan. Representatives such as the Chin National Front praised early efforts to speak with multiple sides of the conflict.
The Philippine chairmanship aims to widen dialogue and bolster ASEAN’s engagement with stakeholders beyond the junta, even as the civil conflict in Myanmar persists and peace efforts remain deeply challenged.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
