NAYPYIDAW: On Thursday, state media reported that Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of Myanmar’s junta, held discussions with a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This meeting took place as Laos assumed the chairmanship of the bloc, which has been actively promoting peace initiatives within the country.
In Naypyitaw, the military leader convened with Alounkeo Kittikhoun, the special envoy of the ASEAN chair on Myanmar, expressing dissatisfaction with Myanmar’s generals’ sluggish efforts to achieve peace as outlined in the ASEAN-agreed plan of late 2021. Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been trapped in an unending cycle of violence, prompting ASEAN to consistently implore the junta to cease hostilities and adhere to the “five-point consensus,” albeit with minimal success.
In recent months, there has been an escalation of violence as armed ethnic groups advocating for democracy and autonomy intensify their actions against the military in Myanmar. They have been capturing outposts and even a major commercial town along the border with China.
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Despite the Myanmar generals being excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings, the bloc has maintained ties with the junta, primarily through the special envoy’s office, which rotates leadership among member states annually.
According to the state-owned newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar, the two leaders discussed the government’s efforts to ensure the peace and stability of the state, as well as national reconciliation.
Min Aung Hlaing conveyed that his administration is currently “implementing the ASEAN five-point consensus adjusted with the roadmap of the State Administration Council,” as reported by the newspaper.
