JAKARTA – The just-concluded Asean Leaders’ Meeting has succeeded in addressing the Myanmar crisis, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“We have succeeded. It’s beyond our expectation in getting the outcome from today's meeting,” said the prime minister.
Asean constructively engaged with Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was in attendance at the meeting held at the Asean Secretariat, here Saturday.
Muhyiddin said Myanmar accepted all the three proposals put forward by Malaysia in tackling the crisis.
“Myanmar responded well and did not reject all the three proposals by Malaysia,” said Muhyiddin.
Myanmar’s military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency.
The coup triggered mass protests met by deadly violence, resulting in hundreds of people having been killed since then.
“General Min agreed that violence must stop,” said Muhyiddin.
Apart from the three proposals by Malaysia, Muhyiddin said Myanmar also agreed to proposals by other Asean countries including humanitarian assistance and national reconciliation efforts in settling the crisis.
Muhyiddin said the outcomes of the meeting proved some critics wrong that the regional grouping did not do anything in addressing the crisis.
“We are very concerned with the development(s) in Myanmar and we (found) ways to tackle the crisis,” he said.
The prime minister said Asean will continue to uphold its duties in overcoming the crisis.
Muhyiddin also held a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the meeting at the Asean Secretariat.
The bloc later released a statement saying that a five-point consensus had been reached including; the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and all parties shall exercise utmost restraint, the commencement of constructive dialogue, the establishing of a special envoy post by the bloc to the country aimed at facilitating mediation with the assistance of the Asean secretary-general, as well as humanitarian assistance through a centralised channel. – Bernama, April 24, 2021
