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This Week in AsiaPolitics

Myanmar junta blames ‘foreign intervention’ for Asean summit exclusion

  • Spokesman says US and EU have been putting pressure on Asian bloc member states
  • But analysts say excluding Min Aung Hlaing to invite a ‘non-political representative’ instead is ‘breakthrough’

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Protesters hold portraits of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at an anti-coup demonstration in Mandalay. File photo: AP
Bhavan Jaipragas
Myanmar’s ruling junta on Saturday slammed Asean for its unprecedented decision to sideline the military chief Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming regional summit, saying the move would “greatly affect” unity in the 10-nation bloc.
While analysts hailed the move as a major turning point in Asean’s efforts to confront Myanmar on its failure to implement a post-coup road map for peace, the military administration said the decision was taken “without consensus and was against the objectives of Asean, the Asean Charter and its principles”.

“At the juncture of emerging strategic competition in the region, ignoring Asean’s good traditions of fostering unity in diversity and resolving differences through consultations and consensus would greatly affect the unity and centrality of Asean,” the junta-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Facebook.

Flags of Asean member countries. Myanmar's junta chief will be excluded from an Asean summit later this month, a rare rebuke as concerns rise over the military government's commitment to defusing a bloody crisis. File photo: AFP
Flags of Asean member countries. Myanmar's junta chief will be excluded from an Asean summit later this month, a rare rebuke as concerns rise over the military government's commitment to defusing a bloody crisis. File photo: AFP

Earlier, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told the BBC Burmese news service that the United States and representatives of the European Union had pressured other leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to exclude military leader Min Aung Hlaing from the summit, taking place October 26-28.

“The foreign interventions can also be seen here,” he said. “Before, we learned that some envoys from some countries met with US foreign affairs and received pressure from EU.”

‘Non-political representative’

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