Malaysia FM: Myanmar's new leaders 'more open' to
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Mohamad Hasan told Malaysia's Parliament on June 25 that Myanmar's newly appointed government appeared "more open" to suggestions than the previous regime, citing his May meeting in Naypyitaw with Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe.
- Min Aung Hlaing took office as Myanmar's president and appointed a new Cabinet in April after a pro-military party won an election widely dismissed as a sham by critics and Western governments.
- The May meeting covered progress on the five-point consensus, a peace plan ASEAN agreed with Myanmar's former military rulers after the 2021 coup sparked a nationwide rebellion against army rule.
- Mohamad also raised the release of political prisoners and the large number of ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently in Malaysia.
- ASEAN leaders have instructed the bloc's foreign ministers to find ways to work with Myanmar on implementing the peace plan, including potential modifications to its terms.
- Any changes to the peace plan would need approval from all ASEAN leaders before taking effect, Mohamad said.
Why it matters: The five-point consensus has been widely seen as a failure, with the military regime refusing to dialogue with opponents it labels "terrorists." Mohamad's read on the new Cabinet's posture is the first signal ASEAN has had that the framework might be salvageable — but any modifications require unanimous ASEAN sign-off, meaning one holdout government can keep the plan frozen.
