European Leaders Tie Ukraine Territorial Decisions to Strong Security Guarantees 
Pakistan’s Army Chief Faces Gaza Troop Dilemma Amid US Pressure 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Hong Kong Democratic Party Disbands After Member Vote Amid Security Crackdown 
Jimmy Lai Convicted Under Hong Kong National Security Law in Landmark Case 
Ukraine Claims First-Ever Underwater Drone Strike on Russian Missile Submarine 
Ukraine’s NATO Concession Unlikely to Shift Peace Talks, Experts Say 
Trump’s Rob Reiner Remarks Spark Bipartisan Outrage After Tragic Deaths 
Trump Sues BBC for Defamation Over Edited Capitol Riot Speech Clip 
Lukashenko Urges Swift Ukraine Peace Deal, Backs Trump’s Push for Rapid Resolution 
Syria Arrests Five Suspects After Deadly Attack on U.S. and Syrian Troops in Palmyra 
Lukashenko Says Maduro Welcome in Belarus Amid Rising U.S.-Venezuela Tensions 
NSW to Recall Parliament for Urgent Gun and Protest Law Reforms After Bondi Beach Shooting 
European Leaders Launch International Claims Commission to Compensate Ukraine for War Damage 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Trump Administration Moves to Keep TransAlta Coal Plant Running Amid Rising AI Power Demand 
Federal Judge Declines to Immediately Halt Trump’s $300 Million White House Ballroom Project 
Myanmar’s military junta has criticized the proposal by Malaysia to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN surrounding how the alliance engages with the country. The proposal comes amidst efforts to resolve the political unrest that has occurred in Myanmar since the generals seized power by staging a coup.
The military junta criticized the proposal by Malaysian foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah that was introduced on May 1. Abdullah proposed that ASEAN recognize the NUG or the National Unity Government – made up of officials the military ousted in their coup back in February of 2021 – especially surrounding humanitarian relief. The junta called the proposal “reckless and irresponsible.”
“Such remarks could abet terrorism and violence in the country, hampering the Myanmar Government’s anti-terrorism efforts and infringe international agreements related to combatting terrorism,” the junta-backed foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement noted that the generals who seized power from Myanmar’s elected government declared the NUG and the groups associated with it “unlawful groups” or “terrorist groups.”
The committee that made up the parliament that was ousted by the generals formed the NUG in April 2021. The NUG is made up of elected politicians, members of various ethnic groups in Myanmar, and anti-coup leaders. Some parliament members in ASEAN have also called on the alliance to engage directly with the NUG.
The junta has barred ASEAN from meeting with ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the regional alliance has barred the junta from attending summits in 2021 and from the ASEAN foreign minister retreat in Cambodia back in February. ASEAN leaders are also set to attend a summit with US President Joe Biden, with Washington also following the grouping’s lead in only allowing a non-political representative of Myanmar to attend.
Last month, the junta-backed court sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison after convicting the ousted leader of the first of 11 corruption charges made against her by the military since seizing power, according to reports by Reuters and the Associated Press.
The case in question centered on Aung San Suu Kyi’s alleged acceptance of $600,000 cash and 11.4 kilograms of gold bars from the former chief minister of Yangon, Phyo Min Thein.
