Cambodian PM Says Myanmar's Military Regime Welcomes ASEAN, If There Is Progress On Peace Plan

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. (Wikimedia Commons/UNCTAD)

JAKARTA - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday he had invited the head of the Myanmar military regime to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, on the condition that progress was made on the peace plan he approved last year.

PM Hun Sen, the current ASEAN Chair, said he would speak to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing via video call on Wednesday, noting that since their face-to-face talks earlier this month, Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced and military aircraft aircraft deployed in operation.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a coup in Myanmar last year, with ASEAN making the surprising move of banning the military regime from attending key meetings, over its failure to implement the agreed ASEAN Five-Point Consensus on cessation of hostilities and enabling dialogue.

"He (PM Hun Sen) said he had invited HE (His Highness) Min Aung Hlaing to attend the ASEAN summit, if there was progress in the implementation of the five points agreed by acclamation," read a statement on Hun Sen's Facebook page, summarizing Tuesday's call with Prime Minister of Malaysia, launched Reuters 25 January.

"But if not, he will have to send non-political representatives to the ASEAN meeting," continued PM Hun Sen.

Cambodia has indicated it wants to engage with the military regime, not isolate it, but Prime Minister Hun Sen has been pressured this month by several ASEAN leaders including those from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, not to give up on the deal.

To note, PM Hun Sen's visit on January 7 to Myanmar has become a thorny issue for some countries who are concerned it could be interpreted as ASEAN's recognition of Myanmar's generals.

The ASEAN Consensus agreed at last year's ASEAN Leaders Meeting (ALM) includes stopping attacks, facilitating humanitarian response and providing full access to ASEAN's special envoys for all parties to the conflict.

The Myanmar Coup. VOI editors continue to unify the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continued to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.