Two days before the 46th ASEAN Summit began, civil society organizations in ASEAN held a parallel forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A sign bearing the ASEAN Summit emblem is displayed on the road median, with the Kuala Lumpur Tower visible in the background.

Relatively unknown to the public, the ASEAN Civil Society Forum, this year held under the name “ASEANPeople@ASEAN2025”, took place in the city centre just like the leaders' summit. Participants came from all member countries as well as Timor-Leste, which currently holds observer status.

This year’s event was funded solely by the European Union, making vital discussions on regional issues depend on support from an outside organization.

The ASEAN civil society meetings were first initiated when Surin Pitsuwan was serving as Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in response to criticism that ASEAN cooperation platforms were exclusively for governments.

In its early days, the forum brought together academics and civil society representatives for informal discussions. In 2005, the ASEAN Civil Society Forum was formally established with broader public participation during Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship.

At each annual summit, civil society organizations normally send representatives to deliver statements to ASEAN leaders in what is known as the Interface Meeting. However, this practice was last observed in 2015, during the Summit hosted by Malaysia.

This year, the summit website said it is “an initiative by members of Malaysian Civil Society in championing regional reforms through the ASEAN 2025 mechanism, chaired by Malaysia.”

“CSOs this year are operating under thematic clusters, with each cluster presenting a 5-point advisory to Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.”

This year, the forum on 24-25 May focused on the question of peace in Myanmar. 

Civil society representatives from ASEAN countries link arms for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN People’s Forum on 24 May 2025

Hindered by Visas

Su (a pseudonym), a relatively well-known Burmese activist, risked his life to attend the event, marking the first time he left Thailand. At the meeting, Su sat quietly at the back of the room, avoided being photographed, and rarely expressed his opinions.

“For me, this is a form of resistance,” he said, when asked at a coffee shop whether it had been worth the risk.

Su fled to a Thai border province following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar. His family and children relocated to the United States, but he refused to go—choosing to stay close to his homeland to continue the struggle, even though peace remains elusive for the foreseeable future.

Another group of Burmese attendees, who possessed valid visas and travel documents, were also able to attend. Some held refugee status in Western countries and had since obtained passports from those nations. Even so, they continued to harbour a fear of arrest.

Chalida Tajaroensuk on 24 May 2025

Before the ASEAN summit began, the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok issued a warning that “Myanmar citizens in Thailand will face legal action if they have revised or forged passports,” according to the Global New Light of Myanmar, the country’s state media.

With longstanding political repression and a deepening humanitarian crisis following the earthquake, this event offers a rare space for expression. However, many Burmese participants were unable to attend.

Chalida Tajaroensuk, the Director of People Empower Foundation (PEF), cited the case of Stephen (a pseudonym), a Burmese activist who played a role in the 1988 pro-democracy movement.

He had a letter of endorsement from the organizers, but he was unable to come. Even though he holds a travel document from a European country, it does not carry the same status as a passport, which has caused complications.

Chalida proposed that Malaysia consider holding peace talks on Myanmar, using Thailand as the venue to help resolve visa issues and enable representatives from various ethnic groups to participate.

“The envoys have already accepted,” said Chalida about a small online discussion one day before the forum with Othman Hashim, ASEAN’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, and Johan Ariff, Malaysia’s Chargé d’Affaires to Myanmar.

“They said we will need to work together and that they will be in touch. They gave us their name cards and everything else, and we gave them our name cards.”

ASEAN civil society held a small discussion session on 23 May 2025, which included an online conversation with Othman Hashim, ASEAN Chair Special Envoy for Myanmar, and Johan Ariff, Chargé d'Affaires of Malaysia to Myanmar.

Bolder actions required

Chalida proposed that ASEAN civil society establish a troika to coordinate the previous year’s ASEAN chair, the current chair, and the next chair, to ensure continuity.

Thailand, a neighbouring country affected by the crisis in Myanmar, should also collaborate with the troika regardless of which country holds the ASEAN chairmanship. Once the meeting concludes, civil society would submit an advisory paper on Myanmar peace to representatives of the Malaysian government.

Ying Lao, Director of the Salween Institute for Public Policy, said that the lack of continuity remains a problem, even though ASEAN has increased its engagement with non-state actors since the 2021 Myanmar coup.

The focus is often on foreign policy when discussing Thailand’s approach to the Myanmar crisis. However, domestic policy should also be part of the discussion. An Inter-Ministerial Task Force should be established for more integrated efforts.

Throughout history, the Burmese people and ethnic groups have gone through the peace process five times. It has failed every time due to lack of genuine compromise, the military’s emphasis on coercion instead of political recognition, the strategy of divide and rule with selective ceasefires, and external interference, especially from China.

She views the election, promised for the end of this year, as an “arena of manipulation” since the rules favour parties that support the Myanmar military. While Myanmar should hold elections, they alone are not enough to resolve the country’s political crisis. The root of the problem lies in ethnic conflicts. To achieve lasting peace, discussions need to go beyond ceasefires and include constitutional reforms.

Ying Lao. Taken on 25 May 2025

Alternative ways to give support

A Burmese refugee in Malaysia urged that humanitarian assistance no longer be sent through the State Administration Council (SAC), as the ongoing civil war prevents the junta from distributing aid evenly and may even allow it to indirectly support its military operations. Instead, he said, the most reliable and effective form of aid at present is through grassroots networks.

Meanwhile, ASEAN countries should adopt a parallel mechanism to facilitate the delivery of aid to Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs), the National Unity Government (NUG) and civil society, especially in areas outside the junta's control. ASEAN should also distinguish between those affected by armed conflict and those affected by natural disasters, as they require different types of humanitarian assistance.