Ain Bandial

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – A non-political representative of Myanmar will be invited to a Southeast Asian summit in this month. This is a rare gesture to evade the coup leader against a civilian government that took place in February.

At Friday’s emergency meeting, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations took a bold decision. This is a remarkable step by the consensus-driven bloc that has always preferred a policy of non-interference and engagement.

Singapore’s foreign ministry said on Saturday the move to exclude junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was a “difficult, but necessary, decision to uphold ASEAN’s credibility”.

In the statement it cited insufficient progress in a roadmap to bring back peace in Myanmar, which was agreed upon by the junta and ASEAN in April.

Myanmar’s military government spokesperson blamed foreign intervention for this decision.

Zaw Min Tun, a Junta spokesperson, stated to the BBC Burmese that representatives from the United States and the European Union had put pressure on other ASEAN members.

He stated that “the foreign interventions can also been seen here”. We learned from the EU that certain envoys of some countries had met with U.S. officials on foreign affairs.

The United Nations reports that more than 1,000 people were killed in Myanmar by security forces. Thousands of other protestors were also arrested. According to UN, this crackdown against strikes and protests has destabilized Myanmar’s tentative democracy, prompting international condemnation.

According to the junta, these estimates are overestimated.

Brunei, ASEAN’s current chairman, stated that a Myanmar-based non-political figure would be invited for the summit on Oct 26-28. However there was no agreement to allow a representative from politics to attend.

“As there had been insufficient progress… as well as concerns over Myanmar’s commitment, in particular on establishing constructive dialogue among all concerned parties, some ASEAN Member States recommended that ASEAN give space to Myanmar to restore its internal affairs and return to normalcy,” Brunei said in a statement.

However, it did not name Min Aung Hlaing as the person who would be attending his funeral.

Brunei stated that some members had been asked by the Myanmar National Unity Government (formed by opposition to the junta) for invitations to the summit.

“JUSTIFIED DDOWNGRADE”

ASEAN faces increasing pressure from the international community to stand firm against Myanmar. The ASEAN organization has previously been criticized for failing to deal with those accused of rights abuses and subverting democracy.

On Friday, a U.S. State Department official stated to reporters that ASEAN should downgrade Myanmar’s participation in the forthcoming summit.

Singapore urged Myanmar in its declaration to work with ASEAN’s Envoy Erywan Yusof, Brunei’s second foreign minister.

Erywan delayed his long-planned trip to Myanmar in recent weeks. He has requested to meet with all Myanmar parties, even Aung San Suu Kyi who was arrested in the coup.

Zaw Min Tun, a Junta spokesperson said that Erywan was welcome to Myanmar this week but she would not be permitted to meet Suu Kyi as she has been charged with crimes.