ASEAN, the UN and International Engagement on Myanmar in October

October was a period when Myanmar's affairs were once again discussed on the world political stage, with the ASEAN Summit and the UN General Assembly. Below is a summary report of international developments on Myanmar during October.

ASEAN Summit

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits were held in Vientiane, Laos, on October 8. After the meetings, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told reporters that an inclusive approach involving all relevant parties is needed on Myanmar, and that ASEAN countries must work together to end Myanmar's crisis and atrocities.

At the summit, ASEAN leaders urged China to provide effective help on Myanmar, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told reporters that Myanmar's civil war problems are complex and that time is needed to resolve them.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also said ASEAN needs to speak with one voice that the Myanmar problem cannot be solved militarily, that all parties must meet and talk to end the conflict, and that Thailand is ready to help facilitate dialogue.

The ASEAN Chair's Statement issued on October 13 after the summit called for an immediate end to the bloodshed, the creation of conditions for humanitarian assistance, and a Myanmar-led, nationwide dialogue process. It also welcomed Thailand's plan to host an informal consultation on Myanmar later this year, which ASEAN member states may join.

Before the ASEAN Summit, on October 6, a discussion was held in Laos with Myanmar's federal and democratic forces, including the National Unity Government (NUG), ethnic revolutionary organizations (EROs) and domestic forces, attended by special envoys on Myanmar, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar, and ambassadors from ASEAN, the European Union, Britain, the United States, Australia, Thailand, Norway, India and Japan.

UN Special Envoy

Former Australian Foreign Minister and UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Ms. Julie Bishop told the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in her report that she had met junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw. She was appointed UN Special Envoy in early April, and this was the first General Assembly she attended in the role.

Her report said that during a low-profile trip to Myanmar, she also met the National League for Democracy (NLD), the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic revolutionary organizations (EROs).

In her speech, Julie Bishop said all parties involved in Myanmar must abandon a winner-takes-all mindset; that the only way to end the violence is to open a path to reconciliation; and that all parties to the conflict must accept that around 3.2 million people have been displaced by armed conflict and that the current humanitarian crisis is unprecedented. She also mentioned pursuing accountability. She further told the committee that she will return to Myanmar.

On August 20, Ms. Julie Bishop also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as part of efforts to bring about a Myanmar-led, inclusive process to resolve the crisis. China's state-owned CGTN reported that she expressed willingness to communicate and cooperate with China and ASEAN to reach agreement on resolving the Myanmar issue.

The diplomatic efforts of the international community, including ASEAN, which usually aim at "inclusive dialogue", routinely include the phrase "Myanmar-led, Myanmar-owned" and also mention "accountability" for grave human rights violations, so these terms may need to be defined.