PHNOM PENH— Discussions on how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should "engage" with Myanmar became a "little contentious" during their 40th and 41st Summits in Cambodia, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Sunday.

Myanmar has been in a political crisis since a military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in February 2021, with thousands killed in clashes since.

• ASEAN leaders struggle for answers to Myanmar crisis

The political crisis has been the “main worry” of the ASEAN leaders going into the summit, Marcos said.

“That was a little contentious. Kasi may mga bansa, sabi nila, basta tanggalin na natin ang Myanmar sa ASEAN. O basta’t huwag nating imbitahin at all. Mayroon naman nagsasabi na hindi huwag lang ‘yung mga nasa taas, pero ‘yung sa ilalim kailangan pa rin natin kausapin ‘yan,” Marcos said.

(That was a little contentious. Because some countries said Myanmar should be kicked out of the ASEAN. Some said we should just stop inviting them. Some said we should speak not just to the top officials, but also their subordinates.)

“All of us came down on different, slightly different positions along the entire spectrum of completely kicking out Myanmar from ASEAN and for engaging them fully,” he added.

For his part, Marcos voiced out that “direct engagement” by the ASEAN with all stakeholders, including the military administration and the opposition movement, is vital to ending violence in Myanmar.

“Sinabi ko, kausapin natin lahat. Kausapin pati ‘yung nasa position, pati ‘yung nasa nakaupo, pati ‘yung naka, kahit naman sino na interesado dapat kausapin natin o pag-usapin natin,” he said.

(I said we should talk to everyone. Let's talk to those in position, and anyone else who might be interested.)

“Nobody wanted to engage the generals. Nobody wanted to engage the high-level officials. But there are certain --- iba-ibang level of engagement ang kanilang ina-ano, ang kanilang sinasabi (different levels of engagement are being proposed),” he said.

On Saturday, the ASEAN leaders released a statement that the “Five Point Consensus” agreed upon by the ASEAN and Myanmar should be “implemented in its entirety”.

The “Five Point Consensus” had called for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a “constructive dialogue” among all concerned parties, among others.

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