Myanmar generals banned from ASEAN until peace progress
Cambodia's foreign minister on Saturday said the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN had decided that Myanmar's ruling generals would remain barred from any of its meetings until they show progress on a peace plan.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of a series of ASEAN regional meetings in Phnom Penh_ Prak Sokhonn_ who is also a special envoy on Myanmar_ said the generals 'must act in a way that shows progress is made_ then we will be able to act on a decision to show progress'.
On Friday_ the foreign ministers condemned the lack of progress in the so-called Five-Point Consensus that was agreed upon with army chief and coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021_ and demanded the self-proclaimed State Administration Council (SAC) take action to comply with the plan before a regional summit in November.
The ministers said they were 'deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Naypyidaw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the Five Point Consensus'.
And in a veiled warning to Myanmar s military authorities_ the statement referencing Article 20 of the ASEAN Charter noted the leaders meeting later this year could still take action over 'non-compliance'.
Myanmar was plunged into crisis when the military detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials in February 2021 and seized power for themselves.
Some 2_158 people have been killed by the armed forces since the coup_ and anger has grown over the generals intransigence_ particularly after the execution last month of four political prisoners.
In a foreign ministry statement published on the front page of the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar on Saturday_ the military said it rejected ASEAN s communique and would continue to follow its own 'five-point plan'_ which was printed next to the statement on the paper s front page.
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