Myanmar Coup: Shadow Government Welcomes ASEAN Efforts for Peace Talks

Myanmar’s shadow government has welcomed the efforts by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional grouping to start peace talks in the country after more than two years of unrest. However, it also said it does not trust the junta, whose generals overthrew the elected civilian government in a coup in 2021.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government, said the NUG welcomes efforts by ASEAN chair Indonesia to start the process of peace talks after more than two years of military rule when the generals seized power. However, the spokesperson said that it is the junta that poses the biggest obstacle in the process of engaging in peace talks to put an end to the violence in the country.

“The biggest obstacle to peace talks is the military junta,” said NUG spokesperson Kyaw Zaw, adding that the junta was purposely trying to mislead the international community, citing its failure to implement ASEAN’s five-point peace plan that it agreed upon shortly after the coup. “The junta never keeps its promises.”

Myanmar was plunged into political and economic unrest when the generals seized power in February 2021, overthrowing the elected civilian government. The coup sparked widespread protests, to which the military responded with a bloody crackdown that saw hundreds killed and thousands detained. Several pro-democracy activists have also been executed by the junta.

The military, which has long been accused of committing atrocities, has also often clashed with resistance fighters on multiple fronts, including the armed wing of the NUG, the People’s Defense Forces. The junta has labeled the NUG as “terrorists.”

Indonesia has been quietly engaging with key stakeholders in the crisis, including Myanmar’s neighbors China, India, and Thailand, in an effort to restart the peace process. ASEAN has also banned Myanmar’s generals from attending international conferences since the coup.

ASEAN, in its summit this week, expressed concern over the violence in the country that continues to this day. The bloc’s leaders issued a joint statement after discussions reiterating the call to end the violence and engaging in an inclusive dialogue. The current ASEAN chair and host for the summit, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, expressed confidence that the bloc would be able to work together to address the crisis.

Photo by US Department of State / Wikimedia Commons(CC by 2.0)