Jakarta: Southeast Asian leaders demanded an immediate end to killings and the release of political detainees in Myanmar in an emergency summit with its top general and coup leader in the Indonesian capital, Indonesia's president said. The leaders of the Asean also told Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during the two-hour talks in Jakarta that a dialogue between contending parties in Myanmar should immediately start, with help of Asean envoys, Indonesian President Widodo said.
“The situation in Myanmar is unacceptable and should not continue. Violence must be stopped, democracy, stability and peace in Myanmar must be returned immediately,” Widodo said during the meeting. Daily shootings by police and soldiers since the February 1 coup have killed more than 700 mostly peaceful protesters and bystanders.
The messages conveyed to Hlaing were unusually blunt and could be seen as a breach of the conservative 10-nation bloc’s bedrock principle forbidding member states from interfering in each other’s domestic affairs. “There is a tremendous expectation on the part of the international community on how Asean is addressing the Myanmar issue,” Malaysia PM Muhyiddin said, and added that Asean chairman, Brunei PM Hassanal Bolkiah, should be allowed access to Myanmar to meet contending parties.
A formal statement issued by Asean through Brunei after the summit outlined the demands in more subtle terms. It asked for the “immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar” and urged all parties to “exercise utmost restraint”, but omitted the demand voiced by Widodo and other leaders for the immediate release of political detainees. It said Asean would provide humanitarian aid to Myanmar. It was not immediately clear if and how Min Aung Hlaing responded to the blunt messages.
India lauds Asean
India lauds Asean’s new steps to help Myanmar resolve its political crisis. In a statement, the MEA welcomed the Asean initiative and said, “Our diplomatic engagement with Myanmar will be aimed at strengthening these efforts.” Asean has come under a lot of criticism for looking the other way while a coup was effected under its nose. The sustained violence and the military junta’s targeting of Myanmar citizens has given the impression that Asean is toothless.
“India, as a friend of the people of Myanmar, will continue to play a constructive and meaningful role aimed at resolving the current situation in Myanmar. India’s support to the democratic process in Myanmar remains steadfast,” the MEA said.
