Myanmar’s government has denied a request from ASEAN’s special envoy to meet detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The government made it clear that she will not be allowed to see any international representatives until she finishes her prison sentence.
Myanmar’s presidential spokeswoman, Kaing Khaing Soe, said on Tuesday that Suu Kyi has been prosecuted under the law and is currently serving her sentence, and she is not allowed to meet any international representatives.
Aung San Suu Kyi led Myanmar’s civilian government for years and also won the Nobel Peace Prize. In February 2021, Myanmar’s military staged a coup and overthrew her government, arrested her, and the country fell into devastating civil war.
Suu Kyi is 81 years old and has been kept almost completely out of public view since the coup. Earlier this year, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, who became president in February, announced that Suu Kyi would be moved from prison to house arrest.
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The Philippines, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship, welcomed this initiative and asked for ASEAN’s special envoy to be given brief access to her to check on her condition.
Myanmar’s refusal is the latest sign of how badly damaged the relationship between Myanmar and ASEAN has become since the 2021 coup. ASEAN has frozen Myanmar out of its high-level summits and meetings.
ASEAN also put forward a Five-Point Consensus peace plan, calling for an immediate end to violence, dialogue with all parties, and humanitarian access.
For the last five years, the plan has made no progress. The death toll from the Myanmar civil war has now reached 100,000. ASEAN itself is also split on how to handle Myanmar.
Some member states are open to accepting small gestures from the Junta, like the house arrest move, as a reason to bring Myanmar back into block while others want to maintain a firm stance until there is real progress.
ASEAN foreign ministers are set to meet in Manila later this month, where Myanmar will be the central topic of discussion. Myanmar’s spokesperson said: “If they invite us, we will attend.”
