The Myanmar Civil War is now entering its fifth year. Casualties continue to mount. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 15 million people face acute food insecurity, and 3.5 million people are internally displaced due to the conflict. This comes on top of thousands killed and imprisoned. The breakdown in governance has created permissive conditions for organised crime to fester, including scam and fraud operations that affect Singaporeans. Today’s world is already unstable and dangerous enough as it is. To have one more area of insecurity so close to home only makes already difficult circumstances more complicated for Singapore.
The current situation looks dire. ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus has been criticised for its slow implementation, which is not helped by the complex situation in Myanmar and the deep distrust between the warring parties. It has been noted that the Five-Point Consensus does not have a formal way to engage all the major warring parties and seems to provide few, if any, incentives for the Myanmar military junta to restrain itself from excess or negotiate an end to violence with other parties. From time to time, reports point to Singapore-based firms having alleged complicity in the bloodshed in Myanmar, even though the agencies here are reportedly trying to address this issue. Such conditions may even challenge the ability of ASEAN and its members, including Singapore, to work with a post-conflict Myanmar.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has repeated on multiple occasions that Singapore stands on principle. These include supporting a rules-based order, supporting international law, finding common cause with as many partners as possible, and cooperating with our close neighbours. Doing so, according to the Minister, supports Singapore’s survival and prosperity. Could the Minister elaborate on how he intends to apply these principles to working more effectively with various partners and strengthening ASEAN mechanisms to facilitate peace in Myanmar and support the country’s future reconstruction?
