Myanmar pushes back on ASEAN envoy and call to free Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s military-backed government has pushed back against ASEAN’s special envoy for the war-torn country, days after its leader made a landmark visit to Thailand, which is pushing for its neighbour’s full re-engagement with the grouping.

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he relationship between Myanmar and the 11-member grouping has been strained since 2021, when the military leader Min Aung Hlaing ousted an elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a nationwide civil war that has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced millions.



Myanmar’s leadership has since been banned from top-level ASEAN meetings over their failure to implement a “five-point consensus” peace plan agreed with the grouping.



The country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that an ASEAN special envoy for Myanmar was no longer needed, pointing to an election held around the turn of the year.