Asean will demand Myanmar junta to end violence, allow aid
‘As a state party to the UN Convention Against Torture, Indonesia has a legal obligation to prosecute or extradite a suspected perpetrator on its territory: Amnesty
Southeast Asian leaders will try to persuade Myanmar’s junta to end violence and let in aid at a summit on Saturday, diplomats said, in the first concerted international effort to ease the crisis in the country.
Leaders will meet behind closed doors at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean) summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the hope of encouraging candid discussions, two diplomatic sources said.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta chief who ousted the civilian government on Feb.1, is likely to atend, officials and diplomats in the host nation have said.
Initiatives being considered by Asean include a pause in violence to allow medical and food supplies into Myanmar, and the appointment of a special envoy to encourage dialogue between the military regime and its opponents in the rival National Unity Government (NUG), the sources said.
No nations outside of Asean will be present at the talks, although some of the participating nations and the UN special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, will hold meetings on the sidelines of the event, they added. A spokesman for the NUG, formed by ousted lawmakers and some ethnic groups opposed to the junta, said the group had “been in contact with Asean leaders,” but had not been officially invited to the summit.
In Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, scores of protesters chanted “What do we want? Democracy” as they briefly marched through downtown areas of the city. No one was arrested, witnesses said.
Amnesty International urged Asean to investigate Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity.
“As a state party to the UN Convention Against Torture, Indonesia has a legal obligation to prosecute or extradite a suspected perpetrator on its territory,” Amnesty said in a statement.
Asean traditionally does not interfere in the internal affairs of a member state and how it deals with the Myanmar crisis will be its biggest test yet, the human rights group said.
“The bloc’s usual commitment to non-interference is a non-starter: this is not an internal mater for Myanmar but a major human rights and humanitarian crisis which is impacting the entire region and beyond,” Emerlynne Gil, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, said in the statement.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the leaders of Laos, the Philippines and Thailand would send representatives, but did not confirm whether the Myanmar junta chief would atend.
“The commitment of leaders to meet physically is a reflection of a deep concern about the situation in Myanmar and Asean’s determination to help Myanmar get out of this delicate situation,” she said at a news conference.
Myanmar’s military has shown no sign of wanting to talk to members of the government it ousted, accusing some of them of treason, which is punishable by death.
The junta has called the NUG an unlawful organisation.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Myanmar activist group, says 739 people have been killed by security forces since the coup and 3,300 people are in detention.
Meanwhile, the military fired warning shots at a civilian boat carrying Thai border patrol officers, security sources and a resident said on Friday, amid heightened tensions in border areas since the junta seized power nearly three months ago.
Thursday’s shooting took place near the Thai village of Tha Ta Fung in Mae Hong Son province, near where thousands of ethnic Karen from Myanmar fled military air strikes last month.
The Thai Ministry of Defence said all agencies under the ministry and the armed forces had been instructed to “be ready to handle problems and the impact from the violent situation and fighting in border areas.” The two security sources said no one was injured in the shooting at the boat, which had hoisted the Thai flag.
“The Myanmar military unit was concerned about boats sending supplies to their opponents on the other side so they signalled the boat for inspection,” one of the sources said, adding that Myanmar officers had searched the vessel.
Jumi, 49, a restaurant owner in the area, said the shots were fired into the water beside the boat on the Salween river.