Philippine foreign secretary visits Myanmar for ASEAN aid mission
The operation is expected to provide rice, hygiene kits and other essentials to more than 11,000 households through November.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro has arrived in Myanmar for a two-day humanitarian visit as ASEAN’s Special Envoy on Myanmar. She is overseeing aid distribution, with deliveries planned for Karen State and southern and northern Shan State.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said Lazaro would head an ASEAN Monitoring Team mission. The operation is expected to reach more than 11,000 households through November, providing rice in 50-kilogram (110-pound) bags, personal hygiene kits and other essential supplies.
The visit takes place as Myanmar’s military-backed administration seeks closer relations abroad. ASEAN has rebuked Myanmar since the February 2021 military takeover that removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and led to a civil war displacing millions.
Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing has been excluded from ASEAN summits over his failure to follow the bloc’s April 2021 peace plan. Its provisions include ending violence, dialogue between opposing sides, special-envoy mediation, humanitarian assistance and access to all stakeholders. ASEAN’s next annual summit is scheduled for mid-November in Manila.
