Myanmar Junta Rejects ASEAN Call For Aung San Suu Kyi’s Release, Questions Need For Envoy

Myanmar’s military backed government has rejected ASEAN’s renewed call for the complete and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and questioned whether the regional bloc needs to continue its special envoy mechanism after Singapore takes over as ASEAN chair in 2027.

The latest response came after the Philippines, which currently chairs ASEAN, welcomed a rare visit to Suu Kyi by an International Committee of the Red Cross representative. The bloc called the August 3 meeting a step towards dialogue and reconciliation and urged wider and regular access to political detainees. The US and the Philippines also renewed calls on August 7 for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners to be released unconditionally.

The 81 year old former leader has been under house arrest at an undisclosed location in Naypyitaw. The ICRC visit was the first known contact with an independent international humanitarian organisation since she was detained after the February 2021 military coup. The meeting offered rare confirmation that she was alive, while the Red Cross has kept details of its private discussion confidential.

Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said Suu Kyi’s sentences had already been commuted on humanitarian grounds, but any full and unconditional release would take place only “in accordance with the law”. It said the government would continue working with current ASEAN special envoy Maria Theresa Lazaro, but saw no need to continue the mechanism after January 1, 2027, when Singapore becomes ASEAN chair.

The junta said it now represents a government that emerged from multiparty elections reflecting the “genuine will of the people”. Critics have rejected the elections held in December and January, saying they were designed to strengthen the military’s grip on power while creating the appearance of a return to civilian rule. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was excluded from the polls.

President Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power from Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021, has been seeking greater political legitimacy and improved ties with ASEAN. He has criticised the bloc’s approach, accusing some member states of discrimination and saying Myanmar would cooperate on a case by case basis.

ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus, agreed in April 2021, calls for an end to violence, dialogue between all sides, humanitarian assistance and a special envoy to facilitate talks. Years later, the plan has made limited progress, with the military government repeatedly resisting key demands.

ASEAN special envoy Lazaro has continued efforts to gain access to Myanmar and meet all sides, including Suu Kyi. ASEAN has also been pushing for humanitarian engagement as the country remains caught in a prolonged conflict.

Thailand, meanwhile, has backed “calibrated re engagement” with Myanmar. Min Aung Hlaing’s recent visit to Thailand, his first official state visit there, reflected efforts by the junta to rebuild regional ties and gain greater acceptance.