BANGKOK (AP) — The Philippines’ top diplomat arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday to oversee the distribution of humanitarian aid, as Myanmar’s military-backed government seeks to improve strained relations with its neighbors and other countries.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro is making the two-day visit in her capacity as Special Envoy on Myanmar for ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Myanmar is part of the regional bloc but
has been rebuked by it since the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, plunging the country into a civil war that has displaced millions.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lazaro will lead an ASEAN Monitoring Team mission to distribute humanitarian support in Myanmar’s Kayin State, Southern Shan State and Northern Shan State.
The aid operation is expected to distribute 50-kilogram (110-pound) bags of rice, personal hygiene kits and other essential items to more than 11,000 households through November, said the statement.
Lazaro’s visit comes as Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing seeks to improve the image of his military-backed government to gain political legitimacy abroad. China and Russia have been allies since he led the 2021 takeover, but Western nations treated Myanmar as a pariah state and enacted sanctions against its leaders.
Min Aung Hlaing faced years of isolation and was barred from ASEAN summit meetings for failing to comply with the bloc’s April 2021 peace plan, which called for an end to violence, dialogue among contending parties, mediation through a special envoy, humanitarian aid, and full access to stakeholders.
ASEAN will hold its annual summit in mid-November in the Philippines' capital, Manila.
Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president in April following an election in December and January. Critics dismissed the polls as a sham designed to consolidate the military's grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule. His efforts to end diplomatic isolation have included visits to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia.
He has also tried to ease concerns about Suu Kyi, who has not been seen publicly since she was detained in 2021 when her government was ousted. She is serving an 18-year prison sentence on charges that her followers and right groups consider bogus.
The 81-year-old Suu Kyi on Thursday was allowed her first telephone call in more than five years with her son, Kim Aris. On Monday, the military-backed government said it delivered two books sent by Britain’s King Charles III to Suu Kyi, along with diplomatic correspondence.
She was moved from prison in the capital Naypyitaw to house arrest at an undisclosed location in April, and in August, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Suu Kyi, marking her first contact with an independent international humanitarian organization since her detention.
