Myanmar’s political reintegration into the Southeast Asian bloc should follow demonstrable progress, not be offered in the hope that progress will follow, says Joanne Lin from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing, left, speaks as Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim listens during a joint press conference following their meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak, Pool)
Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing, left, speaks as Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim listens during a joint press conference following their meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak, Pool)
SINGAPORE: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Kuala Lumpur in October and said Malaysia would work toward Myanmar’s “full reintegration” into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). His remarks sharpened a question the 11-member grouping can no longer avoid.
Since April, Min Aung Hlaing has been received by Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Myanmar’s bilateral relations with a growing number of ASEAN members are becoming more normal, even as its political representation at ASEAN summits and meetings remains restricted.
ASEAN will not be able to reverse these contacts. Engagement with Naypyidaw is necessary for practical reasons and is also part of any attempt to implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), the peace plan agreed after the 2021 military coup.
However, the grouping needs to distinguish between engagement, bilateral normalisation and collective reintegration.