Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday that Myanmar's military leadership was "not opposed" to a visit of an official ASEAN delegation to the country to help resolve the ongoing political crisis
BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2021) Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday that Myanmar's military leadership was "not opposed" to a visit of an official ASEAN delegation to the country to help resolve the ongoing political crisis.
Earlier in the day, ASEAN leaders gathered for a summit in Jakarta to discuss the deadly protests in Myanmar against the military coup. They urged the junta to stop violence against civilians, release all political prisoners and receive an ASEAN delegation, which would include a high-ranking representative of the ASEAN chair country and the secretary general of the association.
"Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing said he heard us, he would take the points in which he considered helpful, that he was not opposed to ASEAN playing a constructive role, or an ASEAN delegation visit, or humanitarian assistance, and that they would move forward and engage with ASEAN in a constructive way," Lee told reporters after the summit, as quoted by Channel news Asia.
Brunei chairs the ASEAN in 2021. The organization also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Myanmar's military carried out a coup on February 1, arresting top officials over alleged electoral fraud and declaring a one-year state of emergency.
The military takeover triggered mass protests which led to violent clashes and a brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrators. More than 700 people have been killed over 2.5 months of protests while thousands others have been detained.
The international community has largely condemned the military junta. Some countries introduced sanctions against those involved in violence.
