As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines has hosted a "stakeholders' meeting" with various political and ethnic groups from Myanmar’s military-ruled government, Manila’s foreign minister announced on Thursday (Jan 22), aiming to revive the bloc’s stalled peace efforts. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who began her tenure this year as ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar’s crisis, did not disclose which groups attended or the date of the meeting.

“I encouraged their active, constructive, and meaningful exchange of views on implementing the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus,” Lazaro said on X, referring to the 2021 peace plan agreed upon by ASEAN and Myanmar. Discussions focused on de-escalation, improving humanitarian aid delivery, addressing transnational crime, and promoting political dialogue.

Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since a 2021 coup sparked protests that escalated into a civil war between the military and a coalition of rebel groups. The military is currently conducting a general election. Two of three voting phases are complete, showing low turnout and a military-aligned party winning most seats. Critics have condemned the vote as a tactic to maintain army control through civilian proxies, and ASEAN has not sent observers.

Apart from some gains in humanitarian access, ASEAN’s peace plan has largely failed, with fighting continuing across the country and the junta refusing to negotiate with opponents it labels “terrorists.” Spokespeople for both Myanmar’s military government and the shadow National Unity Government did not respond to requests for comment. The Philippines, as ASEAN Chair for 2026, is hosting this political dialogue a week before the bloc’s foreign ministers gather in Cebu for a retreat.