KUALA LUMPUR – Asean “strongly condemns” a military air strike Tuesday on a village in Myanmar, which is reported to have killed up to 100 people including civilians.
Indonesia, the chair of the regional bloc, in a statement said all forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians.
“This would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar,” it said in a statement made available on the Asean secretariat website.
The Asean chair also reiterated the 10-member bloc’s commitment to continue assisting Myanmar in seeking a workable and durable solution to the ongoing crisis through promoting the full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
According to media reports, Tuesday’s attack in the Sagaing area was the deadliest in a recent string of military air strikes, with children reported to be among the dead, and has drawn global condemnation.
Myanmar has been in chaos since a military coup in early 2021 that upended a decade of tentative democratic reform, with a bloody crackdown on protests giving rise to an armed struggle against the Tatmadaw junta.
Yesterday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir in his response to the Tatmadaw’s air strikes said the country is against any form of violence or harsh treatment against civilians.
“Malaysia’s position is that we are against any form of violence taking place now in Myanmar and that is the position of Asean as a whole,” he was reported as saying. – Bernama, April 13, 2023
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