Today/AFP-Sept 14
Air force chiefs from several countries around Southeast Asia did not attend a conference in Myanmar this week after the ASEAN regional bloc accused the ruling junta of targeting civilians in its post-coup crackdown. The snub came after ASEAN accused the junta last week of ignoring a peace plan agreed with the bloc to end violence sparked by the military regime’s coup. Myanmar is still a member of ASEAN, but its military rulers have been excluded from top-level bloc meetings since their takeover. The heads of the 10-nation bloc’s air forces meet every year to discuss cooperation in defense, combatting extremism, and disaster relief. This year, Myanmar is hosting the gathering that began on Wednesday (Sept 13) and is expected to run until Friday. However, the air force chiefs of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore did not travel to attend the meeting, according to the junta’s information team. Air force chiefs from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam arrived in the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Tuesday, the junta’s information team said late Wednesday. Myanmar Air Force chief Htun Aung, who has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain, met with each of the visiting officials separately and discussed “issues of cooperation between the ASEAN air forces,” it said. The chiefs of the Philippines and Singapore air forces had instead sent video messages for discussions on “Co-operation for a Sustainable Environment”, it said. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/world/several-asean-air-force-chiefs-skip-myanmar-meeting-2255161
