Exclusive-ASEAN states object as China lobbies for Myanmar junta to join
summit: sources
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[November 18, 2021]
By Tom Allard and Rozanna Latiff
(Reuters) - A Chinese envoy has lobbied
Southeast Asian nations to let Myanmar's military ruler attend a
regional summit being hosted by China's president next week but has met
stiff opposition, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
Myanmar's standing as a member of the 10-country Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been thrown into the spotlight by a
Feb. 1 coup, when its military ousted the elected government of Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking bloody turmoil.
Several ASEAN members, dismayed by the return of crisis and the
suppression of democracy in Myanmar, have sought to press its generals
by excluding them from ASEAN meetings.
In an unprecedented decision last month, ASEAN leaders blocked Myanmar's
military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, from an ASEAN summit
after he failed to honour pledges to allow an ASEAN envoy to meet
lawmakers overthrown in the coup.
Instead, ASEAN leaders said a non-political figure from Myanmar should
be asked to attend. In the end, Myanmar was not represented.
Four diplomatic and political sources in the region said Indonesia,
Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore wanted Min Aung Hlaing to be banned from
a Nov. 22 China-ASEAN meeting being hosted by Chinese President Xi
Jinping.
"Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei have agreed to maintain the
same position as the ASEAN summit," said a government source in an ASEAN
country who declined to be identified, referring to the demand that
Myanmar be represented by a non-political figure.
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, confirmed its
unwavering stand on the non-political figure, referring to the "wisdom"
shown by leaders before the October summit.
"Indonesia is consistent in its position on who should represent Myanmar
in the forthcoming leader's summit," Faizasyah said.
Indonesia has been among the most outspoken of the ASEAN critics with
its foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, stating that Myanmar should not be
represented at the political level until it restores democracy.
Malaysia's foreign ministry declined to comment. The foreign ministries
of Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam did not immediately respond to requests
for comment.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for
comment but on Tuesday, its spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said China supported
all parties in Myanmar in seeking political settlement through dialogue
and would work with the international community on efforts to restore
stability and resume democratic transformation.
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Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Senior General Min
Aung Hlaing attends the IX Moscow conference on international
security in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2021. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool
via REUTERS/File Photo
Myanmar's military government did not respond to a
request for comment.
'MAINTAIN THE PRINCIPLE'
A regional diplomat briefed on China's lobbying effort said its
Special Envoy of Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang visited Singapore and
Brunei last week but was told that Ming Aung Hlaing could not
participate in the virtual summit.
Sun, faced with the ASEAN opposition, then told Min Aung Hlaing at a
meeting in Myanmar's capital of Naypyidaw on the weekend that China
had to accept the ASEAN stand.
China "would maintain the non-political representative principle
applied by ASEAN", the regional diplomat said, citing Sun.
ASEAN has for decades been known for its policy of engagement and
non-interference but Myanmar's coup has changed that.
In April, ASEAN brokered a five-point plan at a special leaders'
summit, which Min Aung Hlaing attended, that included pledges to end
violence and allow an ASEAN envoy to start dialogue with "all
parties", including ousted lawmakers.
Myanmar has not followed through, saying it has its own "road map"
to new elections.
Myanmar's junta chief could still make an appearance at the summit.
Myanmar is China's co-ordinating country for ASEAN this year,
meaning it helps facilitate its interactions with the bloc.
"Typically, the coordinating member will set up everything, such as
the virtual links and so on," said one source. Myanmar, the source
added, may use this role to "slot in" Min Aung Hlaing, even if other
ASEAN countries objected.
(Reporting by Tom Allard in Sydney and Rozanna Latiff in Kuala
Lumpur; Writing by Tom Allard; Additional reporting by Aradhana
Aravindan in Singapore and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by
Robert Birsel)
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