ASEAN to discuss Myanmar military violence, visit by special envoy

Phnom Penh [Cambodia], February 17 (ANI): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers will be discussing how to approach the Myanmar military as the group seeks an immediate cessation of violence and a visit by a special envoy to Myanmar on Thursday.
The meeting will take place in Cambodia, which holds the bloc’s rotating chair. Some of the ministers will take part in the talks online, reported NHK World.
Brunei, which assumed the ASEAN chairmanship last year, aimed to name its second foreign minister, Erywan Yusof, as the bloc’s envoy to Myanmar. But Myanmar’s military turned down the offer.
The foreign ministers are expected to approve Cambodia’s bid to have its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn named ASEAN’s envoy to Myanmar, reported NHK World.
The talks come after Myanmar’s military turned down ASEAN’s request that the country sends a non-political representative instead of a military-appointed foreign minister to the meeting.
Uncertainty looms over whether the ministers can reach a breakthrough despite Myanmar’s absence in the talks.
The gathering was initially scheduled to take place in January but was postponed after Cambodia clashed with other nations over its position on Myanmar.
Discussions are expected to include how to realize the “Five-Point Consensus” concerning Myanmar following the military coup in February last year, reported NHK World.
The consensus was agreed to at an ASEAN summit-level meeting last year.
Among its proposals are an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and dialogue among all parties concerned mediated by an ASEAN special envoy, reported NHK World.
The country is in turmoil since the coup on February 1, when the Myanmar military led by Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency. The coup triggered mass protests and was met by deadly violence throughout the country. (ANI)