Cambodia’s Prime Minister appeals to Myanmar’s junta for access to Aung San Suu Kyi

Cambodia’s prime minister has urged Myanmar’s top general to grant access to a special Southeast Asian envoy to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in his strongest request yet for the junta commander to show commitment to a regional peace process.

In a video conference with Min Aung Hlaing on Monday, Hun Sen, head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it was critical that the envoy engage with all players in Myanmar, including Suu Kyi, who was recently convicted of corruption and incitement.

Since Min Aung Hlaing staged a coup against Suu Kyi’s elected government 15 months ago, Myanmar has been in upheaval.

The only formal diplomatic endeavour in action is ASEAN’s five-point Myanmar peace ‘consensus,’ which is backed by the UN and major nations, but regional leaders are upset by the junta’s stonewalling.

Hun Sen’s call was described as ‘re-emphasizing the need of access for the special envoy to visit all parties involved in Myanmar… for creating a suitable climate to begin an inclusive political discourse,’ according to a statement from Cambodia’s foreign ministry.

In response, Min Aung Hlaing ‘promised to facilitate discussions with other parties concerned,’ according to the statement, and Myanmar authorities were assisting with humanitarian aid distribution.

Myanmar’s generals have been prevented from attending crucial ASEAN meetings, including an upcoming summit in the United States, until the country’s military ceases hostilities, enables dialogue, and allows humanitarian access.

The junta has stated that it is committed to the deal, but that it also has a responsibility to safeguard its security.

Hun Sen’s call comes after his envoy, his foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, visited Myanmar in March, a journey that activists and a shadow government claimed favoured the junta because he met no other parties to the dispute.

After the trip, Prak Sokhonn stated that he requested access to Aung San Suu Kyi but was denied. He had already criticised a previous envoy’s demand on Suu Kyi’s access as ‘unproductive’ two months prior.