Malaysia calls for extension of Myanmar ceasefire amid ASEAN sanctions

Malaysia, on Sunday, May 25, 2025, has called for the extension and broadening of a post-earthquake ceasefire in Myanmar, amid Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sanctions.

According to Al-Jazeera, the ceasefire is set to expire at the end of May.

The appeal comes amid ongoing violence that has raised serious doubts about the truce’s effectiveness and the potential for any peaceful resolution to the country’s escalating crisis.

The call was made by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan during a meeting with fellow foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

It comes ahead of the bloc’s upcoming leaders’ summit.

ASEAN has led repeated but largely unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to address the turmoil in Myanmar.

Myanmar has been in a state of political and humanitarian crisis since the military overthrew the elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

Since that coup, the conflict has intensified, with widespread fighting between the military regime and various opposition and ethnic armed groups.

A peace plan agreed in April 2021, known as the five-point consensus, has seen little implementation.

Frustrated by Myanmar’s failure to uphold its commitments, ASEAN has continued to exclude the country’s junta leaders from high-level meetings.

In his remarks on Sunday, Mohamad urged all stakeholders in Myanmar to stop the fighting and to extend and expand the ceasefire.

According to him, it should be “to facilitate the long and difficult path towards recovery and ease the suffering of the people of Myanmar.”

He also proposed broadening the truce “beyond the currently affected zones” to include areas not currently covered by the fragile ceasefire.

Malaysia, which currently holds ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship, is pushing for a shift in strategy as the conflict increasingly impacts the region.

Mohamad noted that Myanmar’s internal crisis has spilled beyond its borders.

He made this comment, citing the growing number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries and the rise in cross-border criminal activity.

Malaysia’s efforts now centre on reducing violence and improving humanitarian aid access.

On theother hand, Mohamad acknowledged that political dialogue remains a challenge.

This is supposedly largely due to deep mistrust between the military junta and opposition groups.

This “trust deficit” makes it difficult to bring all sides to the negotiating table.

The ceasefire in question was first announced by the military government, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

It followed a devastating earthquake in late March that killed nearly 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Although the ceasefire has been extended more than once, reports from conflict monitors and international organizations suggest that violence has persisted.

This includes frequent aerial bombardments by the military.

In an effort to encourage a more lasting peace, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok in April.

During the meeting, Anwar urged the general to honor the ceasefire and reiterated ASEAN’s concerns over the continuing conflict.

He emphasized the need to gradually build a consensus toward “fair and free elections.”

Although many experts remain skeptical that credible elections can be held under the current circumstances.

ASEAN’s longstanding principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of member states has further complicated its ability to take decisive action.

This policy has limited the bloc’s response to Myanmar’s deepening crisis, even as the humanitarian toll continues to mount.

Despite the ceasefire, the United Nations and independent observers report that the military continues to carry out deadly airstrikes.

In one particularly horrific incident in mid-May, a military air raid struck a school near the epicenter of the March earthquake in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, killing 22 people, including 20 children.

While some anti-coup and ethnic armed groups have pledged temporary halts to hostilities, conflict continues on multiple fronts.

Residents in eastern Myanmar have reported being displaced as opposition forces surround military-controlled towns along a key trade route to Thailand.

The military government has announced plans to hold national elections by the end of the year.

However, the opposition “National Unity Government,” which operates in exile, has called on political parties and the public to boycott any vote organized by the military.

It views it as illegitimate and designed to entrench military rule.

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