Without Myanmar in attendance, Asean must still do what’s best for the Rohingyas

KUALA LUMPUR: Myanmar’s exclusion from the upcoming 38th and 39th Asean Summits next week – to allow space for the country to put its house in order – is welcomed by many. It, however, does not help solve the plight of the Rohingyas.

Myanmar was snubbed due to the lack of progress in the FivePoint Consensus achieved by Asean last April to help resolve the woes faced by the country after the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted by the army.

However, even before the coup, the Rohingyas in Myanmar, who were denied citizenship, have been persecuted – with thousands from the community ending up as refugees in a number of Asean countries.

Although the Five-Point Consensus does not specifically touch on the Rohingyas, observers say the regional bloc should do more in this area to help the most persecuted community in the world.

President of London-based Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Tun Khin, said Asean’s unprecedented move on Myanmar’s junta is indeed very good news.

“It is the very smallest thing they can do. Asean should not invite the military or people from military-controlled ministries to any Asean meeting. No one in Myanmar thought the Five-Point Consensus would bring about any positive results and six months on, it has been proven right.

“This move by Asean is unprecedented and will have sent shockwaves through the junta, but Asean can and must go further,” he said when contacted by Bernama recently.

Foreign ministers from Asean agreed at an emergency meeting last Friday (Oct 15) to exclude Myanmar from the summits from 26-28 Oct and to only invite a non-political representative from the country.

The meeting also turned down the request by Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), to joint the summits.

Myanmar’s junta, however, said on the following day it was “extremely disappointed” with the decision to exclude its leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing from the upcoming summit, international news media reported.

Khin, who was born and brought up in Rohingya heartland (Arakan), pointed out that Asean should at least recognise the NUG in order to help the Rohingyas, especially on their rights to citizenship.