Asean Excludes Myanmar Junta Leader From Regional Summit

Southeast Asian countries are inviting a non-political representative from Myanmar to a regional summit this month, in an unprecedented snub to the military leader.

The decision was taken by foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at an emergency meeting on Friday night, and marks a rare bold step for the consensus-driven bloc.

Singapore’s foreign ministry said on Saturday the move to exclude junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was a “difficult, but necessary, decision to uphold ASEAN’s credibility”.

The statement cited a lack of progress made on a roadmap to restore peace in Myanmar that the junta had agreed to with ASEAN in April.

A spokesman for Myanmar’s military government Zaw Min Tun blamed “foreign intervention” for the decision, stating that the United States and representatives of the European Union had pressured other ASEAN member states.

Over 1,000 civilians have been killed by Myanmar security forces with thousands of others arrested, according to the United Nations, amid a crackdown on strikes and protests which has derailed the country’s tentative democracy and prompted international condemnation.

The junta says those estimates of the death toll are exaggerated.

ASEAN’s current chair Brunei said a non-political figure from Myanmar would be invited to the Oct. 26-28 summit, after no consensus was reached for a political representative to attend.

He said in a statement that ASEAN Member States recommended that ASEAN give space to Myanmar to restore its internal affairs and return to normalcy.