Seeking Strategic Options for Myanmar: Reviewing Five-Point Consensus and Anticipating the Future of Democracy in Myanmar A Policy Paper Compendium

This compendium of policy papers, initiated by Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, seeks to explore the feasible means and approaches to mitigate, if not yet solving, Myanmar’s political stalemate and crisis. While it also seeks to explore ways on how the international community can help to sustain democratic elements in the country. We hope that this compendium can provide policymakers as well as relevant regional stakeholders with new insights in probing diplomatic breakthrough in dealing with the Myanmar crisis, and in supporting the future of democracy in the country.

Policy papers from distinguished scholars around the region review the limits of the Five-Point Consensus, identify alignments of interests and approaches between ASEAN and external powers like China and India, as well as with important multilateral organizations like the United Nations . The papers also investigate the position of important local stakeholders, particularly the ethnic armed organizations and means to engage them, as we seek to recommend ways on how to sustain the network of democracy’s proponent inside Myanmar, which eventually will contribute in identifying the ways forward for Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN in dealing with the crisis.

Nonetheless, it is very challenging to write on these issues with such a very dynamic development of the crisis itself. This newer context may have played differently in some of the assessment towards the interplay of relations between actors in Myanmar, which at times may bring a much more pessimistic outlook towards the hope for a smooth return to democracy and peace for Myanmar.

Regardless, we hope that the compendium will be useful for analysts and policymakers to understand different perspectives and contexts and possible policy options around ASEAN’s mission for Myanmar and the support we can give for a democratic Myanmar.