Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Mr Chairman, the conditions in Myanmar following the military coup in 2021 are not improving. The civil war appears to be turning more intense with the military suffering territorial losses, the attacking of civilians and more lately, the decision to conscript the male population. Casualties and lawlessness seem to be melting. Displaced persons and refugee numbers are climbing. This despite ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and efforts to reach to the military leadership of the State Administration Council as well as apparent informal contact with the National Unity Government.
How with the change in ASEAN Chair affect the progress made so far? Events in Myanmar may seem far away from Singapore to some. However, given that Myanmar is a regional neighbour, our fates are linked.
Civil war in Myanmar has also led to rising human trafficking, expanded drug production, increased drug trafficking and what looks like an exponential growth in scams. The Straits Times recently reported – based on Police figures – 46.8% increase in scams in 2023, with loss totalling $651.8 million. Some of these scams allegedly originate from Myanmar. Singaporeans have also been ensnared by crime syndicates and forced to work for scam operations in Myanmar. If we are concerned about tackling drugs, human trafficking and scams in Singapore, we should also be concerned to see how more efforts should be made to address some of the roots of this problem. That also means – among other things – supporting Myanmar’s return to stability.
There are both humanitarian and practical reasons for doing so, as I laid out above. It is also easy enough to ignore what is happening in Myanmar, as conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine continue to rage. But what goes on in Myanmar has arguably more direct consequences for Singapore.
With the worsening situation in Myanmar, how does MFA intend to address the multiple challenges that Myanmar poses to Singapore and the region in the coming year – whether by ourselves or in conjunction with our ASEAN partners?
The MFA stated at page 104 of the FY2024 Revenue and Estimates regarding Myanmar, “We will safeguard our interests through engagement of all key stakeholders, while playing a constructive role in supporting ASEAN’s efforts to encourage a peaceful resolution to the crisis.”
So, what are MFA’s concrete plans for playing this constructive role? Will MFA also be officially engaging the National Unity Government and other groups opposed to the State Administration Council? These actors are, in the end, key stakeholders too. How will MFA work with our ASEAN partners to concretely address any limitations of the Five-Point Consensus process?
The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman): The one concern is Myanmar. Mr Nair and Mr Dennis Tan have noted, the situation there is grave and the level of displacement and humanitarian suffering, concerning. We will continue to support ASEAN’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. ASEAN will continue to address the Myanmar issue in line with the Five-Point Consensus (5PC). It is unfortunate that there has been limited progress in the implementation of the 5PC.
But we recognise that the situation in Myanmar is complicated and will take a long time to resolve. Any enduring political solution will have to come from within Myanmar itself. That said, we are committed to working with our partners to facilitate peace and national reconciliation.
It is in our interest to have a stable and conducive regional environment to attract businesses and investments. Mr Tan asked how Singapore can help uphold regional stability. One way is through our consistent bilateral engagements at the leadership level as the earlier generation of leaders did as well. Several of our neighbours have had recent leadership transitions. But we have good links with many of them over the years and we will continue to work closely with them to foster regional stability and prosperity.
ASEAN is another platform to do so. ASEAN forms the cornerstone of our open, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture. Its success is critical to the success of all its members. Ms Sylvia Lim asked if ASEAN would require reforms or a bigger budget to be a more effective organisation. We will ensure that the ASEAN Secretariat is adequately resourced so that they can fulfil their functions and support the region’s needs. This is as ASEAN also takes steps to strengthen itself and introduce more effective work processes.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
29 February 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2354
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 