Myanmar says the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy is “no longer necessary”
Naypyidaw rejects ASEAN’s call for Suu Kyi’s unconditional release
The dispute follows the ICRC’s first confirmed access to Suu Kyi since 2021
Myanmar has said the appointment and continued role of the ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy on Myanmar are "no longer necessary", pushing back against the regional bloc's latest statement on detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a statement, Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had cooperated with successive ASEAN Special Envoys for the past five years and would continue to engage with ASEAN. However, it said the appointment and continued role of the new Special Envoy were no longer necessary.
Myanmar also criticised ASEAN's call for Suu Kyi's complete and unconditional release, saying such demands have implications for the country's judicial process and the rule of law.
Myanmar Pushback
The ministry said ASEAN should uphold the principles of independence, sovereignty, equality and non-interference among its member states.
It said Suu Kyi had been convicted of electoral fraud, corruption and maladministration under Myanmar's laws. While her sentences had been commuted on humanitarian grounds, the ministry said any full and unconditional release would have to take place in accordance with the law.
Myanmar also objected to ASEAN's call for expanded access to people detained since the military takeover in February 2021.
ASEAN's Position
The Myanmar statement followed an ASEAN Chair's statement welcoming the August 3 meeting between Suu Kyi and a delegate from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
ASEAN called for sustained access to Suu Kyi by her family, legal counsel, medical professionals and humanitarian representatives. It also reiterated its call for the release of detainees, including Suu Kyi's complete and unconditional release.
The bloc also reaffirmed the relevance of the Special Envoy's role and called for the envoy to be granted access to Myanmar and meet all parties concerned, including Suu Kyi, as part of efforts towards an inclusive national dialogue under ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus.
ICRC Meeting
The ASEAN statement was prompted by the rare August 3 meeting between Suu Kyi and Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC Resident Representative to Myanmar.
Myanmar's Foreign Ministry said the meeting was conducted in accordance with its laws and regulations as well as ICRC standards and procedures.
The meeting was significant because it was the first publicly confirmed independent humanitarian access to Suu Kyi since the February 2021 military takeover. The ICRC delegate was able to meet Suu Kyi under the organisation's standard detention procedures.
The latest dispute places the ASEAN Special Envoy's role at the centre of tensions between Myanmar's military authorities and the regional bloc over how to address the country's political crisis.
