Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 2) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday defended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) non-interference principle but said this should not be mistaken as a “license for indifference” to members’ violations.
Addressing critics, Anwar said ASEAN would not have grown without key boundaries, particularly its non-interference and decision-making by consensus.
The Malaysian leader noted, however, that this does not mean the 10-member bloc should stay silent on members’ “egregious” breach of the group’s charter and other developments that affect the region.
“In all honesty, I believe that non-interference is not a license for indifference,” he said.
Anwar made the statement during a lecture at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus after he was conferred an honorary degree by the institution.
“Hence, when I mentioned in Bangkok recently about the need to temporarily carve out Myanmar, on account of the blatant human rights violations, it was said in the larger context of the imperative to stay true to one of the key ideals of ASEAN, which is nothing less than to stand for the cause of justice and the rule of law,” he continued.
Figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners showed that since staging a coup in February 2021, Myanmar’s military has detained a total of nearly 20,000 people and killed at least 3,000 amid its crackdown against opposition to its rule.
The political crisis was among the issues which Anwar and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. discussed during their meeting in Malacañan Palace on Wednesday.
Anwar noted the conflict has affected even his home country, citing the “huge number” of refugees who fled to Malaysia.
“I would certainly suggest [t]o explore new areas how Myanmar junta can be persuaded to work and collaborate as a team within ASEAN and resolve the outstanding issues which cannot be considered as purely internal,” he said.
The situation in Myanmar was also the ASEAN leaders’ main concern during the summit in Cambodia in November, according to Marcos.
He said ASEAN’S position on Myanmar’s membership varied, but that the Philippines has advocated for an inclusive engagement with all of Myanmar’s political parties to promote peace.
