Top officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are planning to visit Myanmar next week to see the ongoing situations with their own eyes, Arirang, a South Korean news agency, reported.
The news quoted the organizations saying that the ASEAN Chair and Secretary General are scheduled to hold talks with Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The visit comes amid calls for more assertive ASEAN action in implementing the five-point consensus seeking constructive dialogue to resolve the crisis.
A special ASEAN meeting on Myanmar’s issue took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 24, attended by leaders of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei and foreign minister for Laos, Thailand and the Philippines. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was also present at the meeting.
The five-point consensus includes immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and all parties to exercise utmost restraint and commencement of constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people.
It also includes a special envoy of the ASEAN Chair to facilitate mediation of the dialogue process with the assistance of the Secretary General of ASEAN, ASEAN’s provision of humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre and the visit of the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned.
During a meeting with the Brunei foreign affairs minister in London on May 3, US Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken demanded the ASEAN pressure Myanmar to implement the consensus.
