Leaders of Southeast Asian nations are set to gather in Association of Southeast Asian Nations member state Philippines on Friday for the 48th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit, with Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing once again excluded from the bloc’s top-level meetings.

The summit, hosted in Cebu from May 7 to 9, comes as ASEAN continues to pressure Myanmar’s military government to implement the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus peace plan aimed at ending the crisis triggered by the 2021 military coup.

Myanmar will instead be represented by the permanent secretary of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in line with ASEAN’s policy of barring the country’s military leadership from high-level engagements due to lack of progress on peace efforts and dialogue with opposition groups.

Foreign ministers met on Thursday ahead of the leaders’ summit, discussing regional strategic challenges including energy security, geopolitical tensions and the economic impact of ongoing instability in the Middle East.

According to The Irrawaddy, ASEAN member states remain divided over how to engage Myanmar’s military rulers, though the bloc has maintained restrictions on the junta’s political participation since 2021.

The summit is also expected to focus on regional economic cooperation, maritime security in the South China Sea, and strengthening ASEAN’s role amid growing competition between major global powers in the Indo-Pacific region.

BOB Post