ASEAN steps up engagement with Myanmar ahead of elections
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By Phyo Lin Aung (NP News) - Oct 11
As Myanmar’s planned election approaches, ASEAN’s engagement with the country is showing signs of becoming closer and more pragmatic. On 9 October 2025, Malaysia Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan visited Myanmar to discuss the upcoming poll with the authorities and urge a breakthrough in the peace process.
In the course of his brief visit, Mohamad Hasan, in his capacity as ASEAN chair, went to Naypyidaw and met with the Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, along with the Prime Minister and the foreign minister.
Outcome of one-day visit
The main focus of his mission was to talk about the election in Myanmar and the peace process. At their meeting with the SSPC chairman, Hasan said he was happy to see that preparations for Myanmar's multi-party democratic general election were going on. He also stressed that “ASEAN would work with Myanmar in the best possible way, and would like to make the suggestion that elections should be conducted in an inclusive manner and that election observation teams, too, would be sent.”
The Chairman of the SSPC responded by emphasizing the government’s commitment to a free and fair election since its announcement in 2024. According to him, the parties have been given both the time and the legal basis to prepare and register. 57 political parties that are legal and more than 5,000 candidates are going to participate in the next election.
On election matters, the discussions also covered political developments, conditions for free and fair elections using Myanmar Electronic Voting Machines (MEVMs), the possibility of phased voting, the role of international and regional election observers, and Myanmar’s commitment to continue democratic reforms. They also addressed Myanmar’s future cooperation within ASEAN, participation in humanitarian assistance, and engagement with international partners.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing thoroughly explained that the government was reaching out to the ethnic armed groups to have a political dialogue to achieve a peaceful situation. He said that since 2018, 27 peace agreements had been declared and that groups which had gone to violence due to political disagreements had been given three chances to be part of the process.
He further explained upcoming peace initiatives, stating “The NCA 10th anniversary ceremony will be held on the 15th of this month, and leaders of ethnic armed groups that have signed the NCA, some leaders of ethnic armed groups that have not yet signed the NCA, and international witnesses will be there.”
Not only that, the Malaysian Foreign Minister met up with Prime Minister U Nyo Saw and discussed holding elections, peace, trade and investment, cooperation with ASEAN, and the international community.
Then, when the Foreign Minister met his counterpart, the Myanmar side briefed ASEAN on their sharing of the Five-Point Consensus implementation, cooperation with neighbouring countries, and regional partners in addressing cross-border crimes and online frauds.
Moreover, U Than Swe proposed the setting up of a Tripartite Core Group comprising the Government of Myanmar, the United Nations, and ASEAN to coordinate the post-disaster recovery plan and take care of the communities impacted by the catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar.
Improving ASEAN–Myanmar Relations
These events indicate that the relations between Myanmar and ASEAN might have gotten better after a long period of stagnant position since 2021. ASEAN has barred Myanmar from political representation since 2022 due to its failure to honour commitments in the Five-Point Consensus.
Nevertheless, after the foreign minister of Malaysia met with the authorities of Myanmar and had sight of the present condition, it is assumed that he recognized the political progress in Myanmar. The preparation for elections and the continuation of peace talks give the impression that Myanmar is on its declared roadmap.
It may imply that the views of the member states of the ASEAN might change gradually. For instance, recently, East Timor, struggling to gain ASEAN membership has also adjusted its attitude toward Myanmar. Dili’s recognition of anti-government forces has strained relations with Naypyidaw, making it difficult for East Timor to secure unanimous support for its membership bid. In this regard, although Myanmar is excluded from ASEAN meetings, it still retains its legal rights and dignity as a full member.
ASEAN’s restrictions need review
While Myanmar’s politics remain in transition, progress on elections and peace cannot be ignored. Although, in this context, it looks like the decision made by ASEAN to only allow political representation once the Five-Point Consensus has been fully implemented is a little too restrictive. As such, even if most points are implemented, it will not be possible to stop violence immediately only by the government. Besides, the peace process has to involve the ethnic armed groups and other extreme actors as well.
Compared to other ASEAN countries, besides political constraints, Myanmar is not the only one facing that kind of conflicts. For example, Thailand has had several coups. Nevertheless, it was excluded from ASEAN representation for only a year and after that regularly invited to summits and AIPA assemblies. It makes us wonder how members are treated in terms of fairness.
Therefore, ASEAN should not only thoroughly check its restrictions on Myanmar but also ensure that all members are treated equally.
Conclusion
The Malaysian Foreign Minister's visit represents the most significant and progressive ASEAN initiative towards Myanmar since 2021. As Myanmar demonstrates tangible progress in the electoral and peace processes, ASEAN should recalibrate its position and gradually restore political representation and partnership to Myanmar within the association. This measured approach would not only facilitate Myanmar political development but also further consolidate ASEAN’s unity and enhance its status on the regional and international stage.