If military rulers of Myanmar continue to execute more prisoners, ASEAN will be forced to reconsider a peace plan previously agreed with the nation.
ASEAN and Myanmar: Peace Plan with Myanmar
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be forced to reconsider a peace plan agreed with Myanmar. If its military rulers continue to execute more prisoners. The warning was given by Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia.
The 10-nation bloc will be hosting an important international gathering this week. It has pushed the Myanmar junta to follow a peace consensus that was agreed upon last year. ASEAN has also slammed its recent execution of four activists, who were closely associated with a resistance movement.
“If more prisoners are executed, we will be forced to rethink…our role vis a vis ASEAN’s five-point consensus,”
Hun Sen, the chair of ASEAN
The Myanmar crisis has challenged the ASEAN’s unity according to him. The peace plan had “not advanced to everyone’s wishes”. However, there some progress had been there in providing humanitarian aid.
The situation had changed dramatically. It was now even worse than before it was of the peace agreement. The main reason is the junta’s execution of the activists. The ASEAN nations “are deeply disappointed and disturbed”.
A senior State Department official stated that the United States is looking at what can be done to both, sustain and increase the pressure on the Myanmar generals.
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of the State, is one of the 27 foreign ministers to join the ASEAN Regional Forum security meeting in Cambodia this week. It will also include China, Britain, Russia, Australia, and Japan.
Myanmar is not being represented at the ASEAN meeting this week. It was done after Myanmar’s military rejected a proposal of sending a non-junta representative.
What other nations have to say:
Some ASEAN members, who follow the tradition of non-interference in other’s internal matters, have increasingly been strident in their criticisms of Myanmar. Myanmar had disrespected the peace effort and with no progress on this front, further engagements with its military authorities would be of limited value, said the Foreign Ministry of Singapore.
Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysian Foreign Minister stated that the junta is frustrating everyone in ASEAN and the peace agreement is being made a mockery. “We regret the fact that the junta has not been cooperative,” he added.
The director of Southeast Asia Studies at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, Greg Poling stated that the bloc was furious with the executions and will be looking to prove that it is not completely neutered.
Also, there are growing concerns among the ASEAN ministers about the developments in Taiwan with the visit by Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker. “We hope that all sides will try their best to de-escalate tensions and avoid actions that may contribute to the escalation of tensions,” Kung Phonak, Secretary of State of Cambodia’s foreign ministry.
Reactions from Myanmar:
The Myanmar junta brushed off a deluge of international condemnation and defended their executions as “justice for the people”. Terror acts were aided by those activists. It was referring to the militias’ attack revolting against the military rule.
“This was justice for the people. These criminals were given the chance to defend themselves. I knew it would raise criticism but it was done for justice. It was not personal.” – Zaw Min Tun, Junta spokesperson
In a different statement, Washington was targeted by the foreign ministry of Myanmar for being a staunch critic of the junta and pointing out Pelosi’s visit to be a reason for the increase in regional tensions.
“Myanmar opposes any provocative actions causing instabilities in the region and attempts that aim to interfere in internal affairs of other states”
