World News / 20 October 2021
Myanmar junta eyes a seat at the ASEAN table
Since Myanmar’s military seized power in February, about 5,600 people have been arrested or are subject to arrest warrants for taking part in anti-coup protests. They will now be granted amnesty, with some released from detention yesterday. There’s no word yet on the fate of the country’s 7,300 political prisoners, including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The military’s surprise move comes days after its leader General Min Aung Hlaing was blocked from attending a soon-to-be-held regional summit over his failure to commit to de-escalating unrest in the country. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members agreed last week to invite a “non-political representative” from Myanmar instead of the military leader. Commentators say that Hlaing – who blames the political opposition for the unrest – is looking to legitimise his regime.
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