Cambodia’s Hun Sen urges Myanmar junta chief to allow humanitarian aid access
- The PM, as Asean chairman, held a video call with Min Aung Hlaing and appealed to him to follow a five-point agreement to address the Myanmar conflict
- He urged Myanmar’s military ruler to allow a visit by a special envoy of the Asean and to support the provision of humanitarian aid
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Myanmar’s military ruler to allow a visit by a special envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and support humanitarian aid access, an official said on Wednesday.
Hun Sen as Asean chairman held a video call with military strongman Min Aung Hlaing and appealed to him to follow a five-point agreement to address the Myanmar conflict, Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia’s foreign ministry, told reporters.
The consensus, which Min Aung Hlaing agreed to in a face-to-face meeting with Asean leaders in April last year, commits to ceasing hostilities, granting humanitarian access and supporting inclusive dialogue.
“He asked HE (his excellency) Min Aung Hlaing to facilitate so that an Asean special envoy can visit in Myanmar for the first time in the future,” Kao Kim Hourn said.
“He appealed to all sides including the Myanmar government to cease violence and reach a ceasefire,” and invited him to join Asean countries in providing humanitarian aid “to Myanmar people who need it the most,” Kao Kim Hourn said.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military overthrew an elected government nearly a year ago, with close to 1,500 civilians killed in the junta’s crackdown on its opponents and troops in the countryside fighting on multiple fronts with pro-democracy militias and ethnic minority armies.
The junta says it is fighting “terrorists”.