ASEAN has asked Myanmar to recognise the NUG as a "decisive step."

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

Before holding negotiations, the regional alliance also advised putting greater pressure on the military government to end the ongoing brutality against civilians.

 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been urged to "take a decisive step" in resolving Myanmar's ongoing crisis by recognising the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) and demanding that the generals who seized power in February immediately cease armed violence before engaging in any talks.

 

Southeast Asian lawmakers and Myanmar opposition representatives urged the 10-member group should "stop siding" with the coup leaders and instead interact with the NUG, which they said was the "genuine" representative of the majority of the population, during a news conference on Wednesday.

 

Myanmar's shadow government, the NUG, is made up of members of parliament who were elected in November 2020, as well as delegates from the country's many ethnic groups, including those battling the military.
It was founded after the coup on February 1st.

 

While ASEAN's "unprecedented and significant" decision to exclude military leader Min Aung Hlaing from the annual regional summit was welcomed, Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian parliament and chairman of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), said that "much more needs to be done" to resolve the political impasse.

 

Santiago stated that ASEAN's reputation would be jeopardised if it failed to exert further pressure on Myanmar's military to "stop its relentless bloodshed" against its own people.

"The [Myanmar] military appears to have demonstrated absolute disrespect for the ASEAN Leaders' agreement," he said, referring to a five-point plan agreed to by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other ASEAN heads of state in April to cease the bloodshed and restore the country's democracy.

 

According to Santiago, ASEAN should "meet officially and publicly with representatives of the legitimately elected NUG" as the first step toward returning Myanmar to democracy.

According to Bo Hla Tint, the NUG ambassador to ASEAN, ASEAN leaders have yet to react to the most recent NUG letter asking a dialogue with their representatives.

 

As a result of the military government's "failure" to collaborate with ASEAN or heed international appeals to end the bloodshed, he believes ASEAN should work with the NUG to restore democracy in Myanmar.

"In the region, we will be a very responsible partner."
We want to remain a constructive member of the ASEAN Community,” he stated, accusing the current government of waging a “terror campaign.”

 

"It is clear that the NUG government received popular support and legitimacy as a result of the 2020 election."
During the press conference, Bo Hla Tint stated, "Only NUG has the legitimacy of the people to deal with the regional and worldwide community."