ASEAN special envoy's Myanmar aid mission draws mixed reactions amid peace plan

A recent humanitarian mission to Myanmar by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - led by the bloc's special envoy to the country - has drawn mixed reactions, with some observers highlighting its potential to reach vulnerable communities, while others warn against engaging the country's military authorities amid a lack of progress on an agreed peace plan.



Special envoy Maria Theresa Lazaro, who is also the Philippine foreign secretary, visited the country from Oct 28 to 29 to launch a month-long operation with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre).



It was the third ASEAN aid distribution in Myanmar this year, but the first in which the grouping's special envoy personally participated, according to Indonesia's charge d'affaires in Yangon, Novan Saleh.



The mission, which comes ahead of the ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Manila from Nov 15 to 17, aims to distribute humanitarian assistance, including 50kg bags of rice and personal hygiene kits, to more than 11,000 households affected by Myanmar's prolonged conflict.



Lazaro also met Myanmar's military-backed leadership during her visit.



Joanne Lin, senior fellow and coordinator of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said the mission was significant because ASEAN had managed to access areas it previously could not reach.