Asean leaders urge Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing to end violence and release political prisoners

The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions against Min Aung Hlaing, his lieutenants and military-backed businesses since the February 1 coup

Neither Asean nor China has shown interest in following suit, instead claiming engagement will be vital to deal with the post-coup instability

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Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) with other Asean leaders in Jakarta. Photo: EPA

Published: 7:06pm, 24 Apr 2021Updated: 12:22am, 25 Apr 2021

Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday met leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Jakarta for crisis talks, where the junta chief was urged to immediately halt a bloody post-coup crackdown on protesters and to release detained civilian leaders.

The special meeting – attended by the senior general and six leaders of the 10-nation bloc – ended after three hours. Thailand, Laos and the Philippines were represented by their foreign ministers. The delegations of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia and Vietnam were led by their respective heads of government.

Brunei, the current Asean chair, released a statement late on Saturday outlining a “five-point consensus” agreed upon by the nine Asean leaders on ways to de-escalate tensions between the military and civilian leaders that led to the coup.

This included the need for an “immediate cessation of violence”, constructive dialogue among all parties concerned and the provision of humanitarian assistance by Asean to Myanmar.

The leaders also agreed to the appointment of a special envoy to help mediate in the crisis, and for the envoy and her or his delegation to have access to “all parties concerned” in Myanmar.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, who first proposed the special meeting in March, said the current situation in Myanmar was “unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue.”

“Violence must be stopped and democracy, stability, and peace in Myanmar must be soon restored. The interest of Myanmar people must always be a priority,” he told reporters after the meeting.