ASEAN ministers say 'even more determined' to solve Myanmar crisis

ASEAN ministers say 'even more determined' to solve Myanmar crisis

ASEAN has said it is 'gravely concerned' over escalating human rights abuses in Myanmar, but its efforts to resolve the crisis are yet to bear fruit
ASEAN has said it is 'gravely concerned' over escalating human rights abuses in Myanmar, but its efforts to resolve the crisis are yet to bear fruit. Photo: Handout / INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Southeast Asian foreign ministers said they were "even more determined" to solve the political crisis in Myanmar during talks in Indonesia on Thursday ahead of the ASEAN leaders' summit in November.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military coup in February last year, but despite its expressions of concern, efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have yet to bear any fruit.

But "ASEAN should not be discouraged, but even more determined to help Myanmar to bring about a peaceful solution", said Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn after the emergency meeting at the bloc's secretariat in Jakarta.

Myanmar's junta had declined to send a non-political figure to the meeting.

More than 2,300 people have been killed in the Myanmar military's brutal crackdown on dissent after the coup, according to a local monitor.

Read also

ASEAN ministers hold talks on festering Myanmar crisis

The United States had urged strong action at Thursday's meeting.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, said at an event in Washington that the junta was leading "the complete destruction of all the progress made over the last decade" as Myanmar transitioned to democracy.

"We are not going to sit idly by while this violence continues; we're not going to sit idly by while the junta prepares for what will be completely fake and sham elections that they talk about holding next year."

Kritenbrink said Washington had "great respect" for ASEAN, but US officials have expressed frustration in the past at the lack of progress on the bloc's own plan for the crisis, which called for an end to the violence, increased aid and dialogue.

"I think all the ASEAN countries need to hold the regime accountable," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in July.

Read also

US urges 'forceful' Myanmar stance as Southeast Asia ministers meet

"To date, we have not seen positive movement in that direction."

ASEAN ministers reaffirmed on Thursday their commitment to that five-point plan, first proposed in April 2022.

"The situation on the ground remains critical and fragile, and this is not due to the lack of commitments and efforts on the part of ASEAN... but because of the complexity and difficulty of Myanmar's decades-long protracted conflicts," he said.

"The time to act is now."

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has not been invited to the ASEAN leaders' summit in Cambodia next month -- for the second year in a row -- and Myanmar's top diplomat Wunna Maung Lwin was excluded from ministerial talks in February and August.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.