• Burmese
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
27 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

ASEAN’s Engagement With Myanmar’s Shadow Govt Needed to Solve Political Crisis: US

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
June 8, 2022
in Burma, Factiva, News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
ASEAN's Engagement With Myanmar’s Shadow Govt Needed to Solve Political Crisis: US

Senior counselor to the US Secretary of State Derek Chollet attends a roundtable at the US ambassador to Vietnam’s residence in Hanoi on April 1

3.6k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The US State Department’s Counselor has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to engage with Myanmar’s shadow civilian National Unity Government (NUG), as the country’s political crisis cannot be resolved by engaging only with the military regime.

Derek Chollet told the Straits Times newspaper in Singapore that Washington has been urging ASEAN countries that are either not engaging or not visibly engaging to “do more of that” because the US believes it’s very important, particularly due to the junta’s restrictions on anyone engaging with the democratic opposition inside Myanmar.

ASEAN member Myanmar has been in political and economic turmoil since last year’s coup. The regime can’t control the country because of the popular armed resistance movement backed by the NUG.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar People Skeptical of Junta’s Promises of Election, Peace

Myanmar People Skeptical of Junta’s Promises of Election, Peace

July 7, 2025
310
Timor-Leste Hits Back at Myanmar Junta’s Objection to ASEAN Membership

Timor-Leste Hits Back at Myanmar Junta’s Objection to ASEAN Membership

July 7, 2025
524
TNLA Defies Myanmar Junta Push to Cede Shan Towns in China Talks  

TNLA Defies Myanmar Junta Push to Cede Shan Towns in China Talks  

July 7, 2025
548

ASEAN’s Special Envoy for Myanmar visited the country earlier this year, but met only with the regime.

“Engaging with the democratic opposition is critical. You are not going to resolve this by just engaging with the junta,” Derek Chollet told the Straits Times.

The State Department official’s call for more engagement follows last month’s meeting between the NUG and US government officials in Washington on the sidelines of the US-ASEAN summit. 

NUG foreign minister Daw Zin Mar Aung also met Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who had called for ASEAN to engage with the NUG prior to the meeting, making Malaysia the first ASEAN member to engage publicly with the NUG. The meeting was slammed by the junta, which was excluded from the US-ASEAN summit for failing to honor the bloc’s peace plan for Myanmar.

Chollet’s call for dialogue between ASEAN and the NUG came before he departed for Thailand, Singapore and Brunei on Tuesday. During his tour, he will focus on the Myanmar crisis, as well as on other bilateral issues, according to the State Department.

In his interview with the Straits Times, the State Department Counselor said that the US has had regular video meetings with the NUG leadership over the last eight or nine months, as well as engaging with them to help build capacity and make them more effective at organizing themselves and delivering for the Myanmar people. 

Chollet said that he will be discussing the political pathway forward for Myanmar during his trip to Southeast Asia.

“We seem to be at a political stalemate in terms of getting Myanmar back on the path to democracy… it’s very tough going right now,” he said. 

“But that is why we are putting a premium on engaging intensively with ASEAN and others who have an interest in a peaceful and democratic future for Myanmar,” added Chollet.

It’s still unknown how ASEAN will respond to Washington’s call to engage more with the NUG, with the junta opposed to any such engagement as it regards the NUG as a terrorist organization. 

The ten-member bloc has been criticized for its failed peace plan for Myanmar, known as the Five-Point Consensus. Adopted in April last year, the Consensus called for the regime to stop violence in the country immediately and to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.

However, the regime has ignored most of the points in the Consensus, while killing over 1,800 people for their anti-coup activism. It has approved ASEAN to deliver aid, provided it is distributed first to the junta. ASEAN’s agreement to that has been criticized by rights groups, who fear that the regime will use the aid for its own benefit, while neglecting those in need.

You may also like these stories:

Junta Chief to Preside Over Myanmar’s First Grand Military Review in Seven Years

Resistance Fighters and KIA Clash With Junta Forces in Northern Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Raises SIM and Internet Taxes to Silence Opposition

Your Thoughts …
Tags: AseanAssociation of Southeast Asian NationsCoupDerek CholletFive-Point Consensusjuntamilitary regimeNational Unity GovernmentNUGStraits TimesUS state department
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow
Burma

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow

by The Irrawaddy
February 12, 2024
44.7k

Ethnic armed grouping says it will continue Operation 1027 offensive until goal of ousting the junta is achieved. 

Read moreDetails
Drone Attack at Myanmar-China Border Gate Causes Over $14m in Losses
Business

Drone Attack at Myanmar-China Border Gate Causes Over $14m in Losses

by The Irrawaddy
November 27, 2023
38.6k

Jin San Jiao is latest northern Shan State trade hub in crosshairs of ethnic Brotherhood Alliance.

Read moreDetails
Arakan Army Captures Myanmar Junta Brigade General in Chin State Rout: Report
Burma

Arakan Army Captures Myanmar Junta Brigade General in Chin State Rout: Report

by The Irrawaddy
January 15, 2024
36.6k

Rakhine-based armed group has reportedly detained the chief of 19th Military Operations Command after seizing his base in Paletwa Township.

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Arrests Thai Condo Buyers, Realtors as Currency Crashes
Business

Myanmar Junta Arrests Thai Condo Buyers, Realtors as Currency Crashes

by The Irrawaddy
June 4, 2024
27.7k

Monday’s arrests follow reports that Myanmar has become one of Thailand’s most lucrative markets for selling condos since the 2021...

Read moreDetails
China-Backed Illegal Rare Earth Mining Surging in Northern Myanmar
Burma

China-Backed Illegal Rare Earth Mining Surging in Northern Myanmar

by Yan Naing
July 15, 2022
34.7k

A Myanmar military-backed militia in Kachin State is protecting Chinese-run mines that produce coveted rare earth minerals used in hi-tech...

Read moreDetails
AA Urges Myanmar Junta Troops to Surrender as Western Command Burns
War Against the Junta

AA Urges Myanmar Junta Troops to Surrender as Western Command Burns

by The Irrawaddy
December 18, 2024
25.4k

Ethnic army reportedly poised to capture regime’s last stronghold in Rakhine State.

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Myanmar Junta Will Be Held Accountable for Democracy Activists’ Executions: Anti-Regime Groups

Myanmar Junta Will Be Held Accountable for Democracy Activists’ Executions: Anti-Regime Groups

Myanmar’s Junta Seems Serious About Executing Leading Activists. Can We Stop It?

Myanmar’s Junta Seems Serious About Executing Leading Activists. Can We Stop It?

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Myanmar Regime Leader Rejects World Bank Economic Forecast as Inaccurate

Myanmar Regime Leader Rejects World Bank Economic Forecast as Inaccurate

5 days ago
1.5k
From Foreign Policy Drift to Diplomatic Freefall in Myanmar

From Foreign Policy Drift to Diplomatic Freefall in Myanmar

7 days ago
2.1k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Starves Last Rakhine Strongholds as AA Closes In

    Myanmar Junta Starves Last Rakhine Strongholds as AA Closes In

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar’s Civilian Govt Rebuffs Junta’s Appeal for ‘Cooperation’

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar’s Strongest Armed Ethnic Alliance is Faltering

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • TNLA Defies Myanmar Junta Push to Cede Shan Towns in China Talks  

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Timor-Leste Hits Back at Myanmar Junta’s Objection to ASEAN Membership

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.