In major rebuke, Asean downgrades Myanmar presence at summit

Kuala Lumpur: Southeast Asian foreign ministers have agreed to downgrade Myanmar's participation in an upcoming summit in their sharpest rebuke yet of its leaders following a Feb 1 military takeover. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will invite a non-political representative instead of Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the grouping's chair Brunei said Saturday.

The 10-member bloc has been under intense international pressure to do more to force member state Myanmar to halt the violence that has left more than 1,100 civilians dead and free scores of political figures, including ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN foreign ministers held an emergency meeting late Friday after Myanmar

refused to cooperate with the bloc's crisis envoy, Brunei Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof. He was appointed in August to mediate in the crisis but abruptly cancelled a trip to Myanmar this week after he was told he would not be able to meet with Suu Kyi and others as he wanted.

Myanmar contended Erywan could not meet with people facing legal proceedings such as Suu Kyi and deposed President Win Myint or with entities that have been declared illegal, Brunei said in a statement.

Suu Kyi and other top civilian leaders were detained in the army takeover. She faces various charges that her supporters and independent analysts say are an attempt to legitimise the military action.

The statement from Brunei said the ASEAN ministers were concerned about the impact of the Myanmar crisis on regional security and about the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN as a rules-based organisation". The bloc's envoy must have access to all concerned parties, it said.

Members of the political opposition's National Unity Government, which views itself as a shadow government, have asked to attend the Oct 26-28 summit, it said.