APHR Urges Officials to Keep Myanmar Junta Leader Away From Summit

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights urged officials in Manila on Nov. 11 to keep Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing away from the upcoming regional summit.

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights delivered the message to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, where delegates met with Undersecretary for Policy Leo M. Herrera-Lim. Herrera-Lim received the delegation on behalf of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, who serves as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.

The delegation warned that the Five-Point Consensus is beginning to look like a failed project. More than 100,000 people have died, directly or indirectly, under Min Aung Hlaing’s watch while violence continues across the country.

“ASEAN made a promise to the people of Myanmar in 2021, and five years on they are still burying their dead,” said Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson and former Member of Parliament of Malaysia.

Santiago added that regional reluctance only emboldens the military leadership. “When Malaysia breaks ranks and welcomes Min Aung Hlaing as President, the generals learn that they only have to wait ASEAN out. Next week, ASEAN should uphold democracy and human rights, not hand him the legitimacy he could not earn from his own people,” Santiago said.

The group raised concerns over Malaysia accepting Min Aung Hlaing as President and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s pledge to bring Myanmar back into the bloc at the heads-of-government level. Lawmakers urged the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, to advise Brunei and Indonesia against extending any invitation to the general.

During the meeting, the delegation handed over a letter addressed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary Lazaro. The document calls on the ASEAN chair to confirm publicly that senior junta representatives will not be invited to Manila next week.

Undersecretary Herrera-Lim informed the delegation that no official invitation has been extended to Min Aung Hlaing, and that no head of government or minister from Myanmar will take part in the summit. The APHR welcomed this assurance and urged the chair to state it publicly.