Military council leader Min Aung Hlaing sent a message to the 58th ASEAN Day ceremony emphasizing the need to respect and adhere to the ASEAN Charter’s principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. He stated that according to the fundamental principles outlined in the ASEAN Charter, regional challenges should be addressed through unified decisions without external interference, maintaining dignity and integrity in relations between member states.
However, ASEAN has not recognized Min Aung Hlaing as a legitimate national leader and has continued to ban him from attending ASEAN summit meetings for five consecutive years since 2021. This comes after the military coup in Myanmar, where ASEAN decided to resolve the Myanmar crisis through its Five-Point Consensus, which the military council has failed to implement. As a result, ASEAN has taken measures by prohibiting Min Aung Hlaing and other political position holders from attending ASEAN leaders’ summits and ministerial-level meetings, allowing only lower-level representatives to participate.
Malaysia, as the current ASEAN Chair, has been making special efforts to resolve the Myanmar crisis. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with National Unity Government Prime Minister Man Win Khaing Than in April, as well as holding discussions with military council leader Min Aung Hlaing. Furthermore, a conference on Myanmar affairs was held in Kuala Lumpur from August 4 to 7, which saw comprehensive participation from Myanmar’s Spring Revolution forces, including the National Unity Government, Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, National Unity Consultative Council, and various ethnic organizations.
