ASEAN Foreign Ministers to Push for Tougher Action on Myanmar

Among the four executed were Phyo Zeya Thaw, a rapper-turned-lawmaker from ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, and veteran political activist Kyaw Min Yu -- better known as “Jimmy”.

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“It shows the junta is making a mockery of the (consensus plan),” Saifuddin wrote in a weekend newspaper article.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan characterized the executions as a “grave setback” to ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis, while Thailand’s foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the move “aggravates the vexing problems of Myanmar”.

A senior ASEAN diplomat told AFP he does not expect any country to go as far as calling for Myanmar’s expulsion from the bloc.

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