It declined an invitation to send a nonpolitical representative in its place.
Cambodia, currently ASEAN chair, stated earlier this month that the members of the group failed to come to a consensus to invite Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, to their meetings in Phnom Penh on Thursday and Friday.
After the military took power in Myanmar last January, the military appointed Wunna Maung Lewin as foreign minister. This was after Aung San Suu Kyi’s government was overthrown.
The 10-member group decided to limit Myanmar’s participation because of disagreements over Myanmar’s inability to cooperate in implementing measures that were agreed to by them last year to ease the country’s violent political crisis after the takeover.
Because of this disagreement, the head of Myanmar’s military government Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was not invited to last month’s virtual meeting with ASEAN leaders. This rebuke came shortly after Myanmar refused to allow an ASEAN special representative to meet with Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi has been held in detention since the military took control.
“Despite the efforts of the ASEAN chair, Myanmar, to promote cooperation within ASEAN,” the Myanmar Foreign Affairs Ministry stated Monday night in a statement. “In this regard Myanmar’s inability or refusal to designate a nonpolitical representative or participate in ASEAN is unavoidable as it violates ASEAN’s principles and practices of equal representation.”
Brunei was ASEAN’s chair when it dismissed Min Aung Hlaing. However, under ASEAN’s annual rotation system, Cambodia is now the group’s head. Hun Sen, the Cambodian Prime Minister, has stated that he believes that Myanmar should attend the next summit meeting.
In January, Hun Sen visited Myanmar as the first foreign leader since the military overthrow. He repeatedly expressed his interest in solving the ASEAN-Myanmar impasse.
On Monday, Japan’s foreign minister met with Hun Sen’s child in Tokyo and decided to cooperate with them in dealing with Myanmar. Hun Manet is Hun Sen’s preferred successor and heads Cambodia’s army.
Japan is more open to Myanmar’s military than Western countries that have sanctioned them. In a sign of mixed feelings in Japan, Kirin Holdings, a Japanese brewery, announced Monday that it had decided to withdraw its Myanmar business and end its joint venture with a military-linked party.
Chum Sounry of Cambodia said that there was no consensus on inviting Myanmar to the meeting. This was due to “little progress” in implementing the ASEAN 5-Point Consensus, which was agreed by all members.
At a special ASEAN meeting in April, leaders issued a statement calling for an immediate cessation or violence, dialogue between all parties, mediation by an ASEAN special Envoy, humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, as well as a visit by the special Envoy to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
While Myanmar did not reject the agreement, it has done very little to implement it.
The Myanmar military council continued to use military force against low-level insurgent areas. It also continues to pursue Suu Kyi for removing her from power.
Suukyi was brought to trial Monday for election fraud charges. This is the latest in a string of criminal prosecutions launched by the military-run government. She has been sentenced to six year imprisonment.
Independent election observers could not confirm the claim that the army claimed it took power due to widespread voter fraud in 2020’s general election. The victory of the National League for Democracy party by Suu Kyi was a huge one, while the military-backed party fared poorly.
The military took over the country, triggering peaceful protests and civil disobedience which security forces suppressed using lethal force. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, approximately 1,500 civilians were killed. In response, some military opponents have turned to armed resistence.
Since her arrest, Suu Kyi (76) has been facing a series of charges. Human rights groups and her supporters claim that the charges against her are unfounded.
