ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Myanmar Rejects ASEAN Call for Suu Kyi’s Release, Questions Need For Special Envoy

The military-backed government is pushing for full readmission to ASEAN, while rejecting outright the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus initiative.

Myanmar’s military-backed government has again rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s call for the release of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dismissed the need for an ASEAN special envoy on Myanmar.

The statement came on Saturday, after the 11-nation Southeast Asian bloc renewed its call for the “unconditional release” of the 81-year-old leader, who was removed from power in the February 2021 coup and remains under house arrest in Naypyidaw.

On August 3, Aung San Suu Kyi was permitted to meet with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the military authorities released four photos of the meeting.

In an ASEAN Chair’s Statement dated August 7, ASEAN welcomed the meeting, describing it as “a positive step towards inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation,” but urged greater access to political detainees and reiterated its call for Suu Kyi’s “complete and unconditional release.” It also renewed its earlier request that current special envoy on Myanmar, Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, be allowed to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi on her next mission to the country.

In a statement on Saturday, Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the ASEAN Chair’s request, echoing the denial that it made to an earlier request from Lazaro in late June.

“Although the government has commuted her sentences based on humanitarian considerations, the matter of a full and unconditional release shall only be carried out in accordance with the law,” it said.

After being removed in the coup in February 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi was charged with a range of far-fetched charges, including incitement, corruption, election fraud, and violation of Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act. Despite being granted several sentence reductions, she still has more than 18 years to serve in prison.

The Ministry added that the government will continue working with Lazaro for the remainder of her term, but doesn’t see the need to continue down that path when Singapore takes over ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship at the start of 2027.

“At present, the government, which emerged from the multiparty democratic elections reflecting the genuine will of the people, has assumed state responsibility,” the statement said. “Therefore, Myanmar is of the view that the appointment and the continued role of the new Special Envoy of the........

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