(REUTERS): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) foreign ministers will hold a special meeting with Myanmar’s ruling military today (Tuesday) in an effort to quell deadly violence and open a channel to tackle its escalating political crisis.
“A special ASEAN foreign ministers meeting will be convened via video conference, where we will listen to the representative of the Myanmar military authorities,” Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said.
He said ASEAN would encourage dialogue between Suu Kyi and the junta. “There is the political leadership and there is the military leadership, on the other hand. They need to talk, and we need to help bring them together,” he added.
ASEAN groups Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
However, ASEAN’s efforts to engage with Myanmar’s military were met with a fierce rebuke from groups in the anti-coup movement, including a committee of ousted lawmakers that has declared the junta a “terrorist” group.
The development came two days after the bloodiest day of unrest since the military removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government a month ago, unleashing anger and mass street protests across Myanmar.
On Monday, the police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters in Yangon and later combed side streets, firing rubber bullets.
Junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said protest leaders and instigators would be punished and threatened action against civil servants who were refusing to work. The military leader pledged to hold new elections and hand power to the winner, but has given no clear time frame.
