No breakthrough on Myanmar crisis at Southeast Asian summit

[webfact]

No breakthrough on Myanmar crisis at Southeast Asian summit

By Tom Allard

 

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi speaks during a virtual informal meeting with foreign ministers and representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 2, 2021. Courtesy of Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via REUTERS

 

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A summit of Southeast Asian states held on Tuesday to discuss the coup in Myanmar failed to find a breakthrough to get the nation back on the path to democracy after last month's military takeover, sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

 

Speaking after foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ended their virtual meeting, Indonesia's chief envoy Retno Marsudi urged the junta to allow the bloc to resolve escalating tensions.

 

"It takes two to tango," she said after the meeting. "ASEAN's good intentions and readiness will be meaningless if Myanmar does not open its door."

 

ASEAN - which is made up of democracies, communist states, authoritarian regimes and an absolute monarchy - did not forge a common position during the meeting, two ASEAN diplomatic sources said.

 

A statement from the meeting's chair, Brunei, on the outcome of the meeting, said ASEAN expressed concern about the situation in Myanmar and called on "all parties to refrain from instigating further violence".

 

"We expressed ASEAN's readiness to assist Myanmar in a positive, peaceful and constructive manner," it said.

 

In a statement of remarks made during the summit, Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan warned an inability to find a common ASEAN position "would starkly underscore our lack of unity, and undermine our credibility and relevance as an organisation".

 

The use of lethal force against unarmed civilians was "inexcusable", he said.

 

Retno, Balakrishnan and the foreign ministers of Malaysia and the Philippines called for the release of political detainees including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a position that was not endorsed by all at the summit.

 

The "informal" meeting was the first involving the 10-nation group since the coup and included Myanmar's military appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin.

 

Retno, the foreign minister of the region's most populous country and the world's third-biggest democracy, has been leading ASEAN diplomacy efforts and hardened her language against the coup.

 

"Restoring democracy back on track must be pursued," she said. "Indonesia underlines that the will, the interest and the voices of the people of Myanmar must be respected."

 

The United Nations, the United States, China and the European Union have all urged ASEAN to play a role in mediating the crisis in Myanmar, where at least 21 people have been killed as security forces tried to quash mass protests.

 

The chair's statement said the grouping looked forward to a special ASEAN-United States meeting of foreign ministers "in the near future".

 

Among recommendations made at the meeting, Retno said an ASEAN taskforce could provide humanitarian assistance in Myanmar.

 

Meanwhile, Malaysia's chief diplomat Hishammuddin Hussein proposed that an ASEAN expert group could look into alleged discrepancies found in the November's election won in a landslide by Suu Kyi.

 

The military seized power after claiming the election was riddled with fraud, despite independent monitors saying it reflected the will of the people.

 

Both the Singaporean and Malaysian foreign ministers noted that ASEAN had stood by Myanmar in the past when it was previously globally isolated under military rule.

 

(Additional reporting by Stanley Widianto and Joseph Sipalan in Kuala Lumpur ; Editing by Gayatri Suroyo and Ed Davies)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-03

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[sammieuk1]

ASEAN - which is made up of democracies, communist states, authoritarian regimes and an absolute monarchy - did not forge a common position during the meeting, two ASEAN diplomatic sources said.

 

Not surprising is it as some country's straddle all of the above at the same time ???? 

[Geoffggi]

I wonder which side Thailand were batting for ......................LOL

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"It takes two to tango," she said after the meeting. "ASEAN's good intentions and readiness will be meaningless if Myanmar does not open its door."

'ASEAN's good intentions and readiness'   Oh, it has both those points to find a breakthrough? Asean is all talk and no action, an absolute toothless tiger.

It has an official policy of 'non-interference' in other member states 'internal affairs', so how can it do anything at all?

[nobodysfriend]

Myanmar army is nothing but a bunch of thieves and criminals .

 

Please read the following part of an article by Aljazeera :

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/26/follow-the-money-myanmar-coup-puts-pressure-on-army-businesses

‘Massive theft’

The military began getting involved in business when Ne Win moved to nationalise the economy as part of his “Burmese way to Socialism in the wake of the 1962 coup.

As the military abandoned the planned economy, it began to nurture a form of crony capitalism with senior generals and military officers able to secure preferential access to many sectors of the economy, including some of the country’s most lucrative industries. In some areas, military companies and their affiliates were the only ones allowed to operate.

The process gathered momentum with the asset sales of 2011 when senior generals and their families were able to take advantage of the opening of the economy to secure control of some of Myanmar’s main assets.

“It’s really the elite and the business cronies who benefit from this massive theft of state resources,” Roberts said. “Rank and file soldiers don’t benefit, and obviously ordinary people suffer because money that that should be spent on health and education is being funnelled into buying military equipment instead.”

 

While the armed forces’ business interests remain largely a “black box” according to Clare Hammond, Global Witness’ London-based researcher on Myanmar, recent reports and document leaks have revealed more details of two giant conglomerates that are key to their wealth – Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC).

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Speaking after foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ended their virtual meeting, Indonesia's chief envoy Retno Marsudi urged the junta to allow the bloc to resolve escalating tensions.

 

"It takes two to tango," she said after the meeting. "ASEAN's good intentions and readiness will be meaningless if Myanmar does not open its door."

The Junta doesn't Tango... it dictates.

ASEAN is as useful as the UN

[BirdsandBooze]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Myanmar army is nothing but a bunch of thieves and criminals .

 

Please read the following part of an article by Aljazeera :

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/26/follow-the-money-myanmar-coup-puts-pressure-on-army-businesses

‘Massive theft’

The military began getting involved in business when Ne Win moved to nationalise the economy as part of his “Burmese way to Socialism in the wake of the 1962 coup.

As the military abandoned the planned economy, it began to nurture a form of crony capitalism with senior generals and military officers able to secure preferential access to many sectors of the economy, including some of the country’s most lucrative industries. In some areas, military companies and their affiliates were the only ones allowed to operate.

The process gathered momentum with the asset sales of 2011 when senior generals and their families were able to take advantage of the opening of the economy to secure control of some of Myanmar’s main assets.

“It’s really the elite and the business cronies who benefit from this massive theft of state resources,” Roberts said. “Rank and file soldiers don’t benefit, and obviously ordinary people suffer because money that that should be spent on health and education is being funnelled into buying military equipment instead.”

 

While the armed forces’ business interests remain largely a “black box” according to Clare Hammond, Global Witness’ London-based researcher on Myanmar, recent reports and document leaks have revealed more details of two giant conglomerates that are key to their wealth – Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC).

One of the Tatmadaw's senior generals lavished an incredible £30 million on his daughter's wedding.

[trainman34014]

5 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I wonder which side Thailand were batting for ......................LOL

Only ever bat for the side they think will win but got it badly wrong in WW2 !

[chilli42]

8 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I wonder which side Thailand were batting for ......................LOL

Easy, the side they have cut all the business deals with.  I mean who would want to fund all those brown envelopes get these deals signed up again?

[natway09]

An interesting aside from this is the 6/8 aircraft arrivals from China everyday flying illegally with their transponders off & only night flights.

The old saying "If it smells fishy it probably is"