ASEAN envoy says urged restraint from Myanmar military, discussed Aung San Suu Kyi access
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
A Southeast Asian envoy said on Wednesday he had urged Myanmar's ruling military to show restraint during offensives and was told by the junta leader there would be no access to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi while her trial was ongoing.Prak Sokhonn, special envoy for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said he sought the release of prisoners including Australian economist Sean Turnell, and junta boss Min Aung Hlaing told him he would consider a request to see Suu Kyi and other detainees in future. The Nobel laureate is on trial for more than a dozen offences including violating a state secrets act and multiple counts of corruption. She has been found guilty of several crimes already, but has rejected all charges."The Myanmar issue is complicated, it needs a long time to solve, we can't solve it during one chairmanship or the current chairmanship," he told reporters on his return to Cambodia. "I understand reasons behind criticism, they don't want me being giving legitimacy to the state councilors," he said, referring to the junta.Prak Sokhonn's trip has frustrated opponents to Myanmar's junta because it was centred largely on the generals, with most meetings with other parties cancelled.ASEAN has barred the generals from attending its summits until they see progress in a five-point "consensus" agreed last year to end the violence.The United Nations last week said the army had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and was deliberately targeting civilians. The military has yet to respond.