ASEAN summit to address Myanmar's post-coup crisis
BANGKOK: When the 10-member Asean holds a special peak Saturday (Apr 24) to hash out Myanmar, the regional body volition exist under as much scrutiny equally the full general who led the February coup ousting the elected regime of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Opponents of the junta are furious that Association of southeast asian nations is welcoming its chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to its meeting in the Indonesian upper-case letter Jakarta, arguing that because he seized ability by forcefulness, he is not Myanmar's legitimate leader.
Also weighing heavily against him is the lethal violence perpetrated by the security forces he commands, responsible for killing hundreds of largely peaceful protesters and bystanders.
"Min Aung Hlaing, who faces international sanctions for his role in military atrocities and the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, should non be welcomed at an intergovernmental gathering to address a crisis he created," said Brad Adams, Asia manager for New York-based Human Rights Spotter.
"ASEAN members should instead take this opportunity to impose targeted, economic sanctions on junta leaders and on businesses that fund the junta, and press the junta to release political detainees, finish abuses, and restore the country's democratically elected government."
The junta'south foes have promoted the idea that the opposition'southward parallel National Unity Government, recently established past the elected lawmakers the ground forces barred from being seated, should represent Myanmar, or at least have some function in the Jakarta meeting.
It has not been invited.
"Information technology'due south unacceptable that they invite this murderer-in-master, Min Aung Hlaing, who has just killed more than 730 people in Myanmar, and I recall it is very unfortunate that they, over again and again, talk to the military generals and non to the civilian government of Myanmar, which is the NUG," says the parallel government's Minister of International Cooperation, Dr Sasa, who uses one name.
Evan Laksmana, a researcher for Republic of indonesia'southward Center for Strategic and International Studies, a call up tank with shut government ties, told The Associated Press there is a very practical reason for engaging Min Aung Hlaing face to face up.
ASEAN recognises "the reality is that ane political party is doing the violence, which is the armed forces, and therefore that'due south why the military is being called to the coming together. So this is not in any way conferring legitimacy to the war machine regime", he said.
By talking to the general, Association of southeast asian nations hopes to initiate a longer term framework process, starting with catastrophe the violence, that volition "hopefully aid facilitate dialogue among all the stakeholders in Myanmar, non just (with) the military government."
READ: Myanmar war machine crackdown on anti-coup protesters displaced nearly 250,000 people: UN envoy
READ: Myanmar activists hold 'blue shirt' protests; junta chief to nourish upcoming ASEAN summit
Skeptics feel ASEAN faces more bones issues in seeking to resolve Myanmar's crunch. They point to the divergent interests of the group's members, its longstanding conventions of seeking consensus and avoiding interference in each other's diplomacy and the historic obstinacy of Myanmar's generals.
I faction in the group, comprising Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, believes the instability engendered by the coup threatens the entire region equally well equally Association of southeast asian nations's brownie as a group powerful enough to act independently of big ability influence.
They also point out that the ASEAN Charter — adopted in 2007, 40 years later the group'due south founding — includes commonwealth, human rights, skillful governance and dominion of law as guiding principles.
READ: Peaceful resolution in Myanmar still possible if all sides tin have genuine dialogue: Balakrishnan
READ: ASEAN must reiterate guiding principles when it comes to state of affairs in Myanmar: Vivian Balakrishnan
"Now is a grave time for ASEAN's much-touted centrality, the thought that Asean is a primal regional platform for regional dialogue, for promoting peace and stability in the region," said Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, manager of the Found of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
He said that conception of ASEAN is now facing "its about severe, grave claiming" in 53 years of existence.
Member countries with more than authoritarian regimes — Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam — see little benefit in paying more than lip service to such principles, and have treated Myanmar's crisis every bit its ain internal affair.
The Jakarta meeting is a hybrid one, with onsite omnipresence encouraged merely virtual participation by video an pick because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte both announced they volition stay home and ship their foreign ministers in their stead, only they are dealing with serious COVID-19 outbreaks, obscuring any political bulletin in their decisions.
"It is more difficult to communicate on a personal level betwixt the leaders without the leaders existence present fully, especially with regards to the prime government minister of Thailand, whom nosotros believe to take the best relationship with the current senior full general from Myanmar," observed Indonesia's Laksmana.
He believes ASEAN has a unique opportunity to appoint productively with Myanmar'due south ruling junta "because right at present there is no other option on the table."
"We haven't seen any progress from the UN Security Quango, for example. There is no commonage effort past other countries. This is information technology. This is the first potential quantum for the electric current crunch," he told The Associated Printing.
READ: Myanmar crisis height a test for ASEAN's credibility: Thailand
READ: Local uprisings emerge to claiming Myanmar's ground forces
United nations specialised agencies and experts have been agile in criticising the coup and the junta's crackdown. United nations Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener will not take function in Association of southeast asian nations's deliberations, merely intends to take part in sideline consultations. The junta has rejected her repeated requests to visit Myanmar.
The Security Council could effectively coordinate actions such as artillery embargoes to pressure the junta, but Russia and China, major weapons suppliers to the junta, would veto such moves.
Western nations accept already enacted targeted sanctions against members of the junta and businesses giving them financial support, but Myanmar'due south past military machine governments have successfully stood upwards to such pressures, and would be expected to do and then again, particularly with support from Beijing.
Association of southeast asian nations prefers quiet affairs to intimidation, seeking incremental gains. Even getting the 2 Myanmar sides to talk to each other could take some fourth dimension, acknowledges Laksmana.
"I remember the gravity of the situation on the ground is as such now that there is no space or even willingness for dialogue until we end the violence," he said.
"So I remember the first steps would be to what extent can Association of southeast asian nations facilitate the observance of a humanitarian intermission commencement and so the commitment of the humanitarian assistance," he said. Simply after that might a forum be possible where all the stakeholders could talk.
A Southeast Asian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the press, said another opening move is nether consideration.
This would involve having ASEAN's current chairman, Negara brunei darussalam's Prime Government minister Hassanal Bolkiah, travel to Myanmar for meetings with the military leadership and Suu Kyi's campsite to encourage dialogue. He would go there with the ASEAN Secretarial assistant General Lim Jock Hoi — also from Negara brunei darussalam — if the junta gives them the nod.
Asean-mode diplomacy with Myanmar has borne fruit in the past. The military regime in charge in 2008 was incapable of mounting sufficient rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of devastating Cyclone Nargis, but refused to open up the country to an international aid effort.
ASEAN took the initiative in offer to open up a channel for foreign assist and the much-needed assistance started flowing.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/asia/asean-summit-address-myanmars-post-coup-crisis-298416
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