Representation from Myanmar was absent when other South Asian nations started business at the ASEAN annual summit on Tuesday, 26 October. This can be attributed to the regional organisation's stance with the happenings in Myanmar and its refusal to allow military leader - Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing to represent the nation.
A coup d'etat began in Myanmar on 1 February, 2021 when the democratic government was overthrown and military regime proclaimed power. A violent crisis followed, with deaths and mass exodus of refugees.
While this year's chair country Brunei asked Myanmar's veteran diplomat Chan Aye to join the virtual summit as a non-political representative, Myanmar's Foreign Ministry said that it will only accept representation by the country's top general or a ministerial level representative. It "vowed to challenge ASEAN's unprecedented move to downgrade its participation" in the summit. Chan Aye did not join the summit.
The move was in reality "unprecedented" and "harsh" as ASEAN follows a policy of non-interference in each others' domestic issues and acceptance of whatever type of government is in power in the member countries.
Myanmar has cited violation of the principles of non-interference in the bloc's charter and rejected the ban ASEAN nation put on military leader Hlaing.
Myanmar also refused to let the ASEAN envoy to meet detained civilian leaders overthrown from their designations after the coup.
ASEAN leaders who never before talked about domestic issues of a member country and had called for an immediate end to the violence in Myanmar following the coup and suggested a dialogue between the two fighting parties through an ASEAN envoy in the month of April.
The ASEAN summit has been surrounded with meetings before and after, between the regional bloc and other nations including US, China and South Korea.
The Associated Press reported a meeting of US officials with National Unity Government, a shadow government in Myanmar who were speculated to attend the ASEAN summit. The US has expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar and has shown support for pro-democracy movement in the South Asian country.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)
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