GOVPH

PH Says It Respects Malaysia's Decision Disassociating Itself from ASEAN Chair Statement on Rakhine

25 September 2017 - The Philippines today said it respects the position of Malaysia on the Rakhine issue as well as its decision to disassociate itself from the ASEAN Chairman's Statement that Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano issued to express concern on the humanitarian situation in Myamar's northern region.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs underscored the Philippines' deep respect for Malaysia's stand on the issue in the northern Rakhine State, which it said Kuala Lumpur was able to clearly articulate in several ASEAN meetings in New York.

The DFA, however, said that the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, also has to respect and take into account the sentiments of the other members of the 10-member regional bloc.

"ASEAN is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the northern Rakhine State and since Malaysia has different views on some issues, out of respect for its position, we decided that instead of a Foreign Ministers Statement, we would issue a Chairman's Statement that would reflect the general sentiments of the other foreign ministers," the DFA said in a statement.

The Foreign Office said the Chairman's Statement that was issued on Sunday reflected the sentiments of the ASEAN foreign ministers who attended a number of meetings on the issue on the sides of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, including several chaired by Secretary Cayetano.

The DFA said the Philippines, as this year's ASEAN Chair, is allowed a certain level of flexibility in formulating the ASEAN chairman’s statement on various issues.

In the Chairman's Statement, the foreign ministers condemned the attacks against Myanmar security forces and “all acts of violence which resulted in loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and displacement of large numbers of people.”

The Chairman's Statement acknowledged that the situation in Rakhine State is a complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots.” It also urged all parties to “avoid actions that will further worsen the situation on the ground.”

The statement also welcomed the commitment of Myanmar authorities “to ensure the safety of civilians, take immediate steps to end the violence in Rakhine, restore normal socio-economic conditions, and address the refugee problem through verification process.”

The DFA said the Chairman's Statement was issued after extensive consultations with Malaysia, adding that the other foreign ministers knew that It will disassociate itself from the statement.

The DFA said that what the Philippines would want to foster during its chairmanship is an atmosphere where dissenting views from ASEAN member states are heard and considered.

"The Philippines as chair tolerates the public manifestation of dissenting voices," the DFA said. "This demonstrates a new level of maturity on how we implement ASEAN's consensus principle when confronted with issues affecting national interests."

According to the Department, this is the second time that an ASEAN Chairman's Statement was issued after the group failed to arrive at a consensus. Several years ago, ASEAN came out with one such statement to reflect the position of nine of the 10 member-states also on the Rakhine issue.

"What is crucial now is that ASEAN undertakes a coordinated effort to assist Myanmar in addressing the needs of the people in the area, in particular their security, livelihood, and well-being, and to provide humanitarian assistance to those communities which are affected," the DFA said. END