ASEAN offers Myanmar's sidelined leaders a path back to summits, but says restrictions will stay until there is meaningful progress on its peace plan

Myanmar remains a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but its political leaders have been barred from summits and foreign ministers' meetings since October 2021, when the military seized power. The coup overthrew the elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered a civil war that continues today.

Phased engagement approach

In a joint statement, ASEAN leaders called for "a calibrated engagement with Myanmar through a phased and progress-based approach, taking into account developments on the ground." They said Myanmar's full political representation could be gradually restored if it makes "sustained and concrete progress" on the bloc's five-point peace plan, which has yielded little since 2021.

Manila summit discussions

Leaders discussed trade, regional security, and fuel sharing to cope with disruptions caused by the war in Iran. Australia and the Philippines signed a defense agreement on Sunday, while Canada and the Philippines concluded free trade negotiations. A proposed code of conduct for the South China Sea remains unresolved, with negotiations between ASEAN and China 80% complete but unlikely to be finalized in Manila.

Trump's upcoming visit

US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive on Tuesday, toward the end of the summit, and meet the leaders of India, Japan and Australia, the other members of the Quad. The meeting is expected to precede talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Shenzhen on Thursday. Activists plan to march against Trump's visit on Tuesday, protesting a US-backed industrial project that could displace Indigenous families north of Manila.