ASEAN summit: Myanmar junta blames ‘foreign intervention’ for exclusion of Army Chief

After it was announced that Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing will be excluded from an upcoming ASEAN Summit, the ruling junta slammed the Southeast Asian grouping and said that the move would “greatly affect” unity in the 10-nation bloc. On Saturday, 16th October, the Southeast foreign ministers said that they will invite a non-political representative instead of Myanmar’s military leader. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers announced the decision after Myanmar refused to cooperate with the 10-nation bloc’s crisis envoy, Brunei Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof. 

Following ASEAN’s announcement, Myanmar’s ruling junta said that the decision was taken without consensus and was against the objectives of the ASEAN, the ASEAN Charter and its principles. While taking to Facebook, the junta-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Myanmar is “extremely disappointed” over ASEAN foreign ministers’ decision. It “strongly objected” to the outcomes of the Emergency Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and added that the decision would affect the centrality of ASEAN. 

“Myanmar is extremely disappointed and strongly objected the outcomes of the Emergency Foreign Ministers’ Meeting as the discussions and decision on Myanmar’s representation issue was done without consensus and was against the objectives of the ASEAN, the ASEAN Charter and its principles,” the statement read. 

“At the juncture of emerging strategic competition in the region, ignoring the ASEAN’s good traditions of fostering Unity in Diversity and resolving differences through consultations and consensus would greatly affect the unity and centrality of the ASEAN,” it added. 

ASEAN’s decision hailed as ‘major turning point’ 

Meanwhile, analysts and countries, including the US, UK and the EU, have hailed the move as a major turning point in ASEAN’s effort to confront Myanmar on its failure to implement a post-coup road map for peace. The United States has backed the exclusion of Min Aung Hlaing from the ASEAN Summit and said that the decision is “completely justified”. The US State Department said that Washington is supporting all efforts to promote a peaceful resolution to the Myanmar crisis. 

Moreover, the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, the EU and the UK on Friday issued a joint statement of support for the ASEAN envoy. They called on Myanmar to engage constructively with the ASEAN Special Envoy, Erywan Yusof, to implement aspects of the Five-Point Consensus swiftly for a peaceful resolution to the Myanmar crisis. They endorsed ASEAN’s efforts to “chart a course out of the current crisis in Myanmar” and welcomed the “prospective visit to Myanmar by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei”.  

(With inputs from AP)