Malaysia says Myanmar executions make “a mockery” of ASEAN peace plan

Malaysia’s Overseas Minister Saifuddin Abdullah speaks throughout a information convention after ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Reuters) – Malaysia on Tuesday condemned Myanmar’s junta for finishing up the execution of 4 pro-democracy activists, describing the motion as a criminal offense in opposition to humanity and showing to make “a mockery” of a Southeast Asian-led peace plan.

Myanmar’s navy, which seized energy in a coup final 12 months, confirmed the nation’s first executions in many years, accusing the activists of aiding “terror acts” by a civilian resistance motion. learn extra

Malaysian Overseas Minister Saifuddin Abdullah additionally questioned the timing of the executions, which got here per week earlier than a gathering of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ten-member bloc, which has additionally condemned the executions, had been pushing for Myanmar to stick to a five-point peace plan it agreed to final 12 months.

“We checked out (the executions) as if the junta is making a mockery of the five-point consensus, and I feel we actually have to take a look at this very, very critically,” Saifuddin instructed a information convention.

Myanmar shouldn’t be allowed to ship political representatives to any worldwide ministerial stage conferences, he mentioned, widening Malaysia’s earlier name for junta officers to be barred from ASEAN summits till progress was made on the peace plan.

“We hope we’ve seen the final of the executions and we’ll attempt to use no matter channel that we will to try to make sure that this is not going to occur once more,” Saifuddin mentioned, including that Malaysia would search to current a framework for the implementation of the peace plan on the ASEAN assembly.

ASEAN must also search to have interaction Myanmar’s Nationwide Unity Authorities (NUG) and Nationwide Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), a shadow administration outlawed by the nation’s navy junta, he mentioned.

Myanmar’s junta has repeatedly referred to as on nations to not have interaction with the NUG, which is made up members of the ousted administration and different navy opponents that the junta has labelled as “terrorists”.

In Could, Saifuddin met his counterpart from the NUG on the sidelines of a summit in the USA, within the group’s first open engagement with a Southeast Asian nation. learn extra

Reporting by Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Enhancing Kanupriya Kapoor and Ed Davies

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