Philippines rejects junta-led Myanmar participation in RCEP

The Philippines has rejected Myanmar's participation in a major regional trade bloc amid concerns about democracy and violence after the military seized power last year.

In a statement before the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Manila would not recognize Myanmar's accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which groups 15 countries, including 10 Southeast Asian nations, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan.

"The Philippines will not accept Myanmar’s Instrument of Ratification (of the RCEP)," said Locsin as he called on Myanmar's junta to implement the five-point consensus, which includes access to detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other jailed opposition members.

However, Locsin said "if that stands in the way of my sister Indonesia and my brothers in ASEAN achieving consensus, I will not stand in the way and yield to their judgment."

Apart from the Philippines and Myanmar, other ASEAN members include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

It was not clear if other ASEAN members support the Philippines' position, but one of the bloc's regional partners and RCEP member, New Zealand, earlier announced its decision not to engage Myanmar under the accord that significantly reduces tariffs and is expected to cover at least two billion people.

The Senate of the Philippines has yet to concur with the ratification of the RCEP.

The accord is deemed crucial as it is seen to boost trade and economies in the region that is still grappling with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Locsin welcomed the military regime’s commitment to fulfill the five-point consensus without any other agenda, he said dialogue must include all stakeholders, including Suu Kyi.

"The dialogue must include all and not just a select few. Most especially it must include Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. It should be a genuine dialogue and not a ventriloquist act," he said.

Myanmar's military ousted Suu Kyi's elected government in February last year, which triggered massive protests and calls for civil disobedience.

Weeks of demonstrations resulted in killings of hundreds of civilians by security forces. — VBL, GMA News