The Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, the special envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to Myanmar, will visit the conflict-hit country on Wednesday and Thursday, with uncertainty remaining over whether she will be allowed to meet detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lazaro is expected to travel to the capital, Naypyidaw, where Myanmar’s authorities say the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate is being held under house arrest. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Tuesday that the envoy’s itinerary was still being finalised, leaving the possibility of a meeting with Suu Kyi unclear.

The visit comes as ASEAN seeks to expand humanitarian access and encourage progress in resolving Myanmar’s prolonged political crisis. The country descended into civil war after the military seized power in February 2021, ousting Suu Kyi’s elected government and triggering widespread resistance.

According to AFP, Lazaro visited Myanmar in January and said in July that she planned to return to push for greater humanitarian access. The Philippines, which chairs ASEAN this year, has repeatedly requested permission for its envoy to meet Suu Kyi, but earlier efforts were rejected.

Manila renewed its request in August, following Suu Kyi’s reported meeting with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, her first publicly disclosed encounter with a foreign official since her removal from power. The Philippines has also called for her “complete and unconditional release”.

Speaking at a joint media appearance with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan in Bangkok, Sihasak expressed hope that the envoy would return with tangible progress ahead of the next ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila and the regional summit.

Myanmar’s military leadership, meanwhile, has sought to rebuild international engagement following years of diplomatic isolation. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup, was installed as the country’s civilian president in April. His political transition has drawn criticism from democracy advocates, who have questioned the credibility of the election that paved the way for his presidency.

Despite the criticism, Min Aung Hlaing has made several overseas diplomatic visits, including to China, India and other ASEAN member states, in an apparent effort to strengthen his government’s international standing.

Fresh concerns over Suu Kyi’s condition have also drawn attention to her prolonged isolation. Her son, Kim Aris, was allowed to speak with her by telephone for the first time in more than five years on Thursday, through Myanmar’s embassy in London.

Aris later told AFP that his mother sounded “fairly healthy”, but said he remained deeply concerned about her well-being.

Whether Lazaro will gain access to Suu Kyi remains a key question surrounding the visit. Any meeting could offer a rare opportunity to assess her condition and signal whether Myanmar’s authorities are prepared to engage more directly with ASEAN’s efforts to address the country’s political and humanitarian crisis.

BOB Post