Philippines Condemns Myanmar Air Strike as ASEAN Chair — SkimNews
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- The Philippines, as current ASEAN chair, expressed concern over a Sept. 28 air strike in Myanmar's Rakhine state that killed 50 and wounded dozens, per Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Ana Marie Hernando (Oct. 3).
- The Myanmar strike hit Kyauktaw on the Bangladesh border and was Rakhine's deadliest attack since a December hospital bombing.
- ASEAN, under Philippine stewardship, stood ready to facilitate discussions on a 'Myanmar-owned and led' solution, guided by the bloc's consensus-based approach and 'mindful of the views of all member states.'
- Myanmar's civil war since the 2021 coup has killed roughly 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million, with the Arakan Army among armed groups fighting the military junta.
Why it matters: The Philippines' diplomatic language — 'consensus-based,' 'mindful of all member states,' 'Myanmar-owned and led' — underscores ASEAN's structural inability to act decisively on Myanmar, where 100,000 have died and 3.5 million are displaced since the 2021 coup. Manila's chair role gives it a platform, but deference to consensus limits its leverage against the junta.
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