Myanmar
Move comes as bloc faces pressure from rights groups to revamp approach to brutal military regime
A protester holds a poster featuring detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 2, 2021. (Photo: AFP)
Malaysia will propose that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conduct informal engagement with Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG).
Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah will make three proposals to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 5 that will be held via video conference.
The move seeks to find a solution to the political stalemate in the conflict-torn country following the failure of Myanmar’s junta to implement the five-point consensus agreed at the April 2021 Jakarta summit, according to Malaysian media.
Reports say the other two proposals are to double humanitarian aid for Myanmar and to strengthen the position and function of the ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar.
“We are not proposing for ASEAN to recognize other governments, but such informal engagement may be conceivable, especially humanitarian aid to the people of Myanmar,” said Abdullah.
“There are ASEAN dialogue partner countries that I think are ready with funds, but they wait and see how systematic the aid delivery work is, because their concern is that the aid will not reach its target if it only goes through the Myanmar government now.”
“Will you allow the military to continue committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and threaten the human security and economic development of the region, for another year?”
The move by Malaysia comes as the bloc has been under pressure by rights groups to revamp its approach to the brutal military junta as there has been no progress on the peace plan one year on.
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights has called on Southeast Asian leaders to take a more aggressive approach, including suspending Myanmar’s membership.
“The question to ASEAN leaders now is: Will you allow the military to continue committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and threaten the human security and economic development of the region, for another year?” the group said in a letter sent to ASEAN leaders.
It also urged the bloc to immediately and publicly meet with the NUG, established by ousted lawmakers and some rebel ethnic groups.
Backed by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, ASEAN has been leading diplomatic efforts to tackle the political turmoil, but its response has been ineffective in pressuring the military regime.
At least 3,500 civilian houses were razed by security forces in various villages in April alone, according to Data for Myanmar, a monitoring group
The junta has ramped up its abuses and continues committing atrocities such as mass killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and indiscriminate attacks on civilians which the UN said amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
At least 3,500 civilian houses were razed by security forces in various villages in April alone, according to Data for Myanmar, a monitoring group.
Myanmar’s military chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, has been barred from attending ASEAN meetings over his failure to implement the five-point consensus.
He will also be banned from the upcoming US-ASEAN summit that US President Joe Biden will host on May 12-13 where the Myanmar crisis is one of the key points on the agenda.
Over 1,800 people, including at least 130 children, have been killed and more than 13,000 detained since last February’s coup ousted the civilian government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.
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