TheJakartaPost
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Myanmar’s bloody coup leader is in town now
Today, ASEAN will hold an emergency meeting to find a solution to the crisis in Myanmar. As neighbors we cannot just remain silent as we watch the military’s ruthless killing and imprisonment of Myanmar people. Unfortunately, the people and Aung San Suu Kyi’s toppled government apparently have little trust in ASEAN.
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This handout photo taken and released by Dawei Watch on April 23, 2021 shows protesters holding signs calling for the arrest of Myanmar armed forces chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a demonstration against the military coup in Dawei. (AFP/Handout)
Ladies and gentlemen from all ASEAN member nations!
Leaders of ASEAN who gather in Jakarta today!
Today, ASEAN will hold an emergency meeting to find a solution to the crisis in Myanmar. As neighbors we cannot just remain silent as we watch the military’s ruthless killing and imprisonment of Myanmar people. Unfortunately, the people and Aung San Suu Kyi’s toppled government apparently have little trust in ASEAN.
As a reminder, you cannot just hide behind the “non-interference” principle as an excuse for your failure to respond to your colleagues who expressed their dismay over the bloody oppression of Myanmar people.
As the host of the summit, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo from the very beginning needs to frankly tell Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing the military’s actions breach the fundamental spirit of the ASEAN Charter, which the ASEAN leaders signed in Singapore in 2008. So the violence in Myanmar is no longer “domestic” affairs of the country.
We should remember that Gen. Hlaing has come under international scrutiny for his alleged role in the genocidal crimes against the Rohingya and other minority groups.
I am not sure whether ASEAN invited the interim National Unity Government (NUG) as the official representative of Suu Kyi, probably because she has not approved the temporary government.
