Myanmar claimed on Monday that discriminatory measures are shutting it out of the ASEAN bloc. This follows a summit last week where the regional organisation continued to blacklist the country’s post-coup leadership.
The 11-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations has shunned Myanmar from its high-level summits since 2021.
This exclusion began after the military deposed the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and detained the democratic figurehead, an event that triggered an ongoing civil war.
After five years of martial rule, the junta conducted a tightly restricted election that excluded the party of Aung San Suu Kyi. Last month, this process resulted in the putsch-leading military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, taking over as the civilian president.
Frustration over lack of progress
During an ASEAN summit held in the Philippines last week, the host country’s president, Ferdinand Marcos, complained that there had not been any significant progress in Myanmar.
In response, Myanmar’s foreign ministry issued a statement claiming that positive developments taking place in the country have been well recognised by the majority of ASEAN member states.
The ministry noted, however, that a few member states continue to maintain restrictions, discriminatory measures, and the exclusion of the Myanmar government from equal representation.
Analysts suggest that ASEAN is suffering from a fraying consensus over the Myanmar issue. There is growing frustration over the lack of progress regarding the bloc’s peace plan intended to end the nation’s internal conflict.
Regional divisions and criticisms
The reaction to the new leadership in Myanmar remains divided among neighbours. Some countries, such as Thailand, congratulated Min Aung Hlaing when he was sworn in as president and pledged to work toward stabilising their shared border.
Other nations have remained aloof regarding his inauguration. The recent election was widely criticised by democracy monitors for cracking down on dissent and failing to include opposition parties or voters in territories held by rebels.
At the summit in the Philippines, Malaysian foreign minister Mohamad Hasan stated that Myanmar was not ready to reclaim its seat. He noted that atrocities towards their own citizens are still occurring within the country.
Indonesia and Singapore, the latter of which will take over the bloc’s rotating chair next year, are widely believed to side with the stance taken by Malaysia.
Accusations of interference
Myanmar’s foreign ministry countered these views, stating that non-constructive engagement with the new government would disregard the genuine will of the Myanmar people.
The ministry added that over the past five years, despite facing unequal treatment arising from the positions of certain member states, Myanmar has exercised patience.
While specific countries were not named in the statement, the ministry accused some nations of interfering in Myanmar’s internal affairs through criticism and pressure.
Myanmar has previously used similar language to criticise East Timor, the bloc’s newest member. This followed a court case opened in Dili against Min Aung Hlaing for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Furthermore, rights activists in Indonesia have filed a complaint with their attorney general, accusing the junta previously led by Min Aung Hlaing of atrocities, including genocide against the Rohingya minority.
