(Sputnik) - The exclusion of the Myanmar military leader from an upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an "appropriate" and "justified" step taken as part of efforts to restore democracy in the country, a senior State Department official said on Friday.
"It seems perfectly appropriate and, in fact, completely justified for ASEAN to downgrade Burma's [Myanmar’s] participation [in the summit]," the official said during a press briefing. "We are supporting all efforts to promote a just and peaceful resolution to the crisis [in Myanmar], the restoration of democratic institutions and we fully respect ASEAN’s decisions there."
US officials have been talking about downgrading participation of Myanmar in future ASEAN summits and meetings, the official noted.
Earlier in the day, ASEAN foreign ministers decided to exclude Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing from participation in the upcoming summit in response to the military government's alleged unwillingness to engage with the regional bloc in order to resolve the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the country.
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The army general who seized power in Myanmar in February has been excluded from an annual summit of regional leaders later this month.
ReplyDeleteThe Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) agreed to invite a non-political representative from Myanmar instead of Gen Min Aung Hlaing.
It is a unprecedented move for the 10-member bloc, which traditionally avoids interfering in its members' affairs.
Asean said the military had not done enough to end the turmoil in Myanmar.
In August, Gen Min Aung Hlaing named himself prime minister and said the country's state of emergency would be extended as fighting between the army and militia forces opposed to the military coup continued.
BBC