Ilango Karuppannan said a permanent Asean special envoy for Myanmar would allow the regional bloc to better push the junta to adhere to a 2021 five-point peace plan.
PETALING JAYA: A former senior diplomat has called for the appointment of a permanent Asean special envoy to Myanmar, saying it would represent a major success for Malaysia when it chairs the regional bloc next year.
Ilango Karuppannan said that apart from using its chairmanship of Asean to ease tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysia should make concerted efforts to engage with Myanmar, which has been mired in civil war since a 2021 coup.
At least 5,350 civilians have been killed and more than 3.3 million people displaced, and with Asean’s 10 members divided as to what measures to take, attempts at a diplomatic solution to the crisis have proved fruitless.
Ilango, Malaysia’s former high commissioner to Singapore, said while Asean already has a special envoy to Myanmar, there is no permanency in the position. Presently, a new appointee takes on the role on a yearly basis in line with rotations of the Asean chair.
He noted that the United Nations has similar envoys who are appointed by its secretary-general on a permanent basis, adding that having permanency to the role would allow envoys to better develop contacts, build a network, and gain trust with stakeholders on the ground.
“I have long argued that Asean should create a permanent representative or envoy to Myanmar. It sends a signal to Myanmar that we are serious about engaging with them, irrespective of when the chair changes,” he told FMT.
“It could be a fantastic deliverable for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia assumes the Asean chair next year.
“A permanent envoy would know the subject matter inside-out and would be very effective. They can also be the focal point in discussions with other envoys such as the UN’s special envoy to Myanmar – especially as Myanmar does not want to deal with them.
“It is important that Asean first talks to Myanmar and gets their buy-in. Myanmar needs to feel comfortable with this new position and must know that they are not being taken for a ride.”
Ilango said that if the role materialises, the permanent envoy’s main role would be to push for the Myanmar junta to adhere to the five-point peace plan it agreed to in 2021 but has failed to implement.
He said the UN’s envoys work in close partnership with stakeholders such as local communities and civil society, regional partners, neighbouring countries, and the broader UN membership.
Australia’s Julie Bishop is the current special envoy of the UN secretary-general on Myanmar, having been appointed to the post in April. Bishop is the third such envoy to the country since 2018.
Ilango, who was previously the country’s high commissioner to Cyprus and ambassador to Lebanon, has also served in various diplomatic roles in Washington DC, Bonn and Conakry.
He retired from public service in 2020 and is currently an adjunct professor at Universiti Malaya and Taylor’s University, where he teaches international relations and diplomacy. He also has a YouTube channel called Diplomatify.