ASEAN Foreign Ministers to Push for Tougher Action on Myanmar

But some members, led by Malaysia and the Philippines, want to bar the military regime from sending ministers to all ASEAN meetings -- including November’s summit -- until there is progress on the five-point plan.

“Political appointees of the administration, especially the military administration are not welcome,” the Philippines’ Assistant Foreign Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel Espiritu said.

Myanmar’s top diplomat, Wunna Maung Lwin, has not been invited to Phnom Penh and was also left out of a foreign ministers’ retreat in February, while junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was snubbed at a leaders’ summit last year.

“Even North Korea is welcome at this forum but the Myanmar junta isn’t... it has to be recognized just how isolated Myanmar is, even in its neighborhood,” said Aaron Connelly, a Southeast Asia specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Maritime row

Along with the Ukraine-Russia conflict, ongoing South China Sea tensions will be another hot button issue on the agenda.

Also read: Myanmar Political Prisoners Not Among 1,600 Freed in New Year Amnesty

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will fly in, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov also expected to attend and hold meetings with the ASEAN ministers.

But analysts do not expect a repeat of 2012 when Cambodia -- a key Beijing ally -- last hosted ASEAN and was accused of siding with China on the disputed sea, resulting in no communique being issued.

“Cambodia has learnt its lesson. It was the first time ASEAN didn’t come up with a joint statement and Cambodia got big blowback from it,” said Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

“Hun Sen.. doesn’t want to shoot himself in the foot again.”

China claims most of the sea -- with competing for territorial assertions from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Source: Agence France-Presse