Irrawaddy-June 28
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Envoy on Myanmar will start his second tour to the country on Wednesday, following up on the bloc’s peace plan and humanitarian assistance for the country that has been in social, political and economic turmoil since last year’s coup. Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the trip to Myanmar aimed to “contribute to building an environment conducive to an inclusive political dialogue through the meetings with all parties concerned.” The five-day visit by ASEAN envoy Prak Sokhonn comes just a day after his call to Myanmar’s regime to return the country’s detained democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from solitary confinement in prison to the location in the capital Naypyitaw where she was originally detained. Given the regime’s ongoing atrocities, the envoy’s second trip to Myanmar seems unlikely to result in any breakthroughs. His first visit to the country in early May produced no tangible results after Prak Sokhonn met only with junta officials. In May, Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen, the current ASEAN chair, urged the Myanmar regime leader to let ASEAN’s envoy meet with Suu Kyi and detained President U Win Myint to “create a conducive environment to start an inclusive political dialogue.” However, regime chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing responded that he would only “facilitate meetings with other parties concerned,” meaning that the envoy will not meet with Suu Kyi or U Win Myint during his visit. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/asean-special-envoy-on-second-visit-to-myanmar-no-meeting-with-suu-kyi.html
