Asean to discuss Myanmar crisis at Saturday's summit

YANGON • South-east Asian countries will discuss the crisis in Myanmar at a summit in Jakarta on Saturday, the Asean bloc's secretariat said yesterday, after the European Union imposed its toughest sanctions yet on the junta that seized power there on Feb 1.

The 10-member Asean has been trying to find a way to guide fellow member Myanmar out of the bloody turmoil that has followed the military coup against an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Romeo Jr Abad Arca, assistant director of the community relations division of the Asean Secretariat, said the summit would take place at its Jakarta headquarters on Saturday under strict health and security protocol.

It is unclear which leaders will attend in person, though a Thai official has said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing would go to Jakarta.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said he would not be attending. He would be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai, who is also Foreign Minister, instead.

The Foreign Ministry of Brunei, which holds the Asean chair this year, declined to comment on arrangements for the summit.

Myanmar's military has shown little willingness to engage with its neighbours and no sign of wanting to talk to members of the government it ousted.

Pro-democracy politicians including ousted Members of Parliament from Ms Suu Kyi's party announced the formation of a National Unity Government (NUG) last Friday. It includes Ms Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup, as well as leaders of the protests and ethnic minorities.

The NUG says it is the legitimate authority and has called for international recognition and an invitation to the Asean meeting in Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's place.

Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon urged his successor to engage directly with Myanmar's military to prevent more post-coup violence and said South-east Asian countries should not dismiss the turmoil as an internal issue for Myanmar.

In its firmest response yet to the coup, the EU said on Monday that nine members of the junta's State Administration Council had been targeted with travel bans and asset freezes. Information Minister U Chit Naing was also sanctioned.

The decision follows similar measures by the United States.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Mr Myint Swe, who has been Acting President since the coup, were blacklisted by the EU last month.

Myanmar's state media said on Monday that 258 civilians have died amid violence in anti-military protests since Feb 1 and that other tolls were exaggerated.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group, 738 people have been killed.

Meanwhile in Japan, a group of journalists yesterday called on Myanmar's junta to free their colleague, Mr Yuki Kitazumi, detained in Yangon following a crackdown on the media amid ongoing protests.

"We want the junta to stop oppressing the citizens of Myanmar, and we seek the swift release of the many detained journalists, including Kitazumi, who strive to tell the truth," Ms Isoko Mochizuki, a fellow journalist and long-time friend of Mr Kitazumi, said.

The journalists started an online petition on Monday addressed to Myanmar's junta and the Japanese government calling for Mr Kitazumi's release.

About 2,000 people have signed the petition.

They have asked the Japanese government to apply more pressure on the Myanmar authorities to free Mr Kitazumi, who was detained on Sunday by the military outside his home in Yangon for allegedly "spreading falsehoods".

REUTERS