The Burmese junta leader said on Monday that the ruling military is committed to peace and democracy and that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should take into account the provocations and violence perpetrated by its opponents.
In his first comments since Myanmar’s neighbours decided to exclude it from an upcoming ASEAN summit due to a lack of commitment to its five-point roadmap, Min Aung Hlaing reiterated the plan.
Min Aung Hlaing, who led the February 1 coup that plunged Myanmar into mortal chaos, made no mention of ASEAN’s decision, but suggested that the national unity government ( NUG) and armed ethnic groups were trying to sabotage the ASEAN-led peace process.
“More violence has occurred due to provocations by terrorist groups,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech, where he appeared in civilian clothes. “Nobody cares about their violence and only demands that we solve the problem. ASEAN should work on it.”
ASEAN decided to invite a non-political representative of Myanmar to its summit from October 26 to 28, in an unprecedented snub to military leaders behind the coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar wanted ASEAN Special Envoy Erywan Yusof to visit the country as agreed, but some of his requests were non-negotiable. He did not develop.
NUG, a broad alliance of anti-coup groups that includes members of the ousted ruling Suu Kyi party, has supported the formation and training of militias known as the “People’s Defense Forces” behind attacks on security forces in several regions of the country.
The NUG recently declared a nationwide rebellion against the military regime.
The shadow government on Monday welcomed ASEAN’s exclusion of the junta leader, but said NUG should be the legitimate representative.
IMPORTANT STEP
“The exclusion of Min Aung Hlaing from ASEAN is an important step, but we ask that they recognize us as the appropriate representative,” said his spokesperson, Dr Sasa.
However, he said NUG would agree to invite a genuinely neutral alternative representative from Myanmar.
ASEAN’s move was an unusually bold step for the consensus bloc, which traditionally favors a policy of engagement and non-interference.
Brunei, the current president of ASEAN, issued a statement citing a lack of progress on a road map the junta agreed with ASEAN in April.
A military government spokesman over the weekend blamed “foreign intervention” for the decision.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, which ended a decade of attempts at democracy and economic reform. Thousands of his opponents have been arrested, including Suu Kyi.
Security forces have killed more than 1 100 people, according to activists and the United Nations.
Minutes after Min Aung Hlaing’s speech, state television announced that more than 5 600 people arrested or on arrest warrants for their role in the anti-coup protests would be released in the part of an amnesty.
He said the decision was on humanitarian grounds and accused the shadow government of being behind the unrest.
