Myanmar’s junta chief to attend ASEAN summit – to anti-coup activists’ ire

Myanmar’s junta chief has agreed to join a special summit of the ASEAN regional alliance, prompting activists to point the finger at the association for ‘legitimizing the military government.’

Min Aung Hlaing will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia on April 24, said Thailand’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat in a statement on Saturday.

It will be Min Aung Hlaing’s first official trip since he took power in a coup by deposing Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.

The junta has ever since been engaged in a brutal crackdown that has led to the killing of nearly 730 people who were calling for the release of Suu Kyi and the restoration of her civil government.

The United Nations human rights office warned on April 13 that the clampdown risked escalating into a civil conflict.

The military government has so far detained 3,141 people in connection with the coup, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Suu Kyi, who is among the detainees, faces various charges, including violating an official secret act that could see her imprisoned for 14 years. Her lawyer has rejected the charges against her.

Prominent activist Wai Wai Nu has said, “ASEAN do not legitimize the Myanmar Military junta as a government by inviting MAH to attend the summit.” The activist was referring to the military chief. The junta, he said, is “illegitimate and illegal.”

The military government justifies the coup by alleging widespread fraud in November 2020 elections. It has dismissed calls from the international community to end the crackdown.

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