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Myanmar believes new ASEAN chair will rule with fairness: junta
There were "good results" from a visit to Myanmar last week by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a regular briefing. He also said international pressure on Myanmar had not dialed down, but Myanmar would not bow to it.
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This screengrab provided via AFPTV and taken from a broadcast by Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) in Myanmar on March 23, 2021 shows junta spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun speaking during a news conference held by the military government in Naypyidaw, following widespread protests in the country after the February 1 military coup. (AFP/Handout)
M
yanmar believes that Cambodia will rule with fairness during its chairmanship this year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a spokesman for its ruling military council said on Friday.
There were "good results" from a visit to Myanmar last week by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a regular briefing. He also said international pressure on Myanmar had not dialed down, but Myanmar would not bow to it.
Earlier on Wednesday, Cambodia decided to postpone a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers scheduled for next week, because some ministers had expressed "difficulties" in attending.
The meeting was the first under Cambodia's chairmanship of the 10-member bloc, which comes amid divisions on how to deal with the military that seized power in Myanmar last year and has led a bloody crackdown on thousands of its opponents.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing last week, the first such visit by a head of government, sparking concern that it could undermine international efforts to isolate the junta.
"The postponement is because of many ASEAN ministers are having difficulties to travel to join," Cambodia foreign ministry spokesperson Koy Kuong told reporters, without elaborating.
Asked separately by Reuters which ministers could not attend the Jan 18-19 meeting in Siem Reap and why, Koy Kuong said he "can't speak for them".
Under Brunei's chairmanship, ASEAN late last year took the unprecedented step of sidelining Min Aung Hlaing from its annual leaders' summit over his failure to honour commitments he made towards ending violence and starting a dialogue process.
The exclusion angered the junta, which said outside powers had pressured ASEAN to break its own code of consensus and non-interference.
Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia had backed excluding the junta.
Cambodia, however, is taking "different approaches", its foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, and said on Saturday, while denying that Hun Sen's visit was an endorsement of the Myanmar military.
Prak Sokhonn was expecting to be appointed special ASEAN envoy to the Myanmar situation at the Siem Reap meeting.
On Saturday, he criticised the previous envoy, Erywan Yusof, as being unproductive in insisting on access to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been convicted in recent weeks of several offences, including incitement
