US delegation to travel to Southeast Asia, Japan to discuss Myanmar crisis: Report

The United States informed on Friday that a group of officials from the State Department, as well as its international development and other agencies, will travel to Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia next week to address the crisis in Myanmar, reported Kyodo News. The situation in Myanmar has deteriorated since the military coup in the month of February. Although the details are still being worked out, senior State Department officials stated the delegation, led by State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who also serves as a policy adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will stop in Japan on its way home to discuss Myanmar and Indo-Pacific challenges, reported the outlet. 

The officials will seek to expand cooperation with US allies and partners as well as strengthen the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in regional stability during their trip to Southeast Asia, which will take place from October 17 to 22, according to a press release from the State Department. They will reiterate the United States' commitment to Myanmar's people and emphasise that the international community, including neighbouring countries, has an "urgent responsibility" to pressure the military regime to end violence, release political prisoners, and bring back Myanmar to a democratic path, according to the statement. In Thailand, the officials lead by Chollet are also expected to discuss cross-border humanitarian aid for Myanmar. 

ASEAN not to invite Myanmar's military leader for regional group's summit

The US officials' trip comes as ASEAN foreign ministers have unilaterally decided not to invite Gen. Min Aung Hlaing for the regional group's summit meeting later this month. The decision has been taken as Gen. Hlaing lead the coup that deposed Myanmar's elected government under civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The decision to exclude Myanmar's military chief signals a historic departure from ASEAN's principle of non-interference in member countries' internal affairs, reported Kyodo News. According to one of the top State Department officials, it appears entirely reasonable and completely justified for ASEAN to restrict Myanmar's participation in subsequent meetings because the military junta has been unwilling to work with ASEAN to address the issue, the outlet reported. 

Myanmar military coup 

As Myanmar's military has taken steps to sabotage the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and a few other civilian leaders in Burma, several governments and human rights organisations around the world have expressed concern and urged the military to immediately release all those who have been detained unlawfully. However, the Myanmar Army has claimed it carried out the detentions in response to fraud in last November’s general election that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide. On August 1, Military Commander Min Aung Hlaing declared that he would remain in charge until 2023 when he plans to hold an election, reported ANI.  According to data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as many as 945 people have been killed since the military takeover took place in February. Additionally, more than 2 lakh people have been displaced due to flashfloods and another 1.8 lakh people have been reported as COVID infected in the country. 

(With agency inputs)

Image: AP/ Instagram/ @Derek Chollet