Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing on Friday criticized the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s Five-Point Consensus conflict resolution plan, accusing member states of “discriminating” against the country.
The remarks came during a speech to a joint session of parliament marking the first 100 days since the former military chief, who led the 2021 military coup, took office at the head of a military-backed civilian administration.
“The government noted that although some ASEAN member states had, over the past five years, adopted positions and practices that it regarded as discriminatory towards Myanmar, Myanmar had exercised patience and continued to cooperate in accordance with its responsibilities as an ASEAN member state,” Min Aung Hlaing said, according to a transcript of his speech published by the Myanmar News Agency.
The Five-Point Consensus was agreed at a special ASEAN summit in Jakarta in April 2021, just over two months after the military seized power in a coup. Min Aung Hlaing attended the meeting, where ASEAN leaders agreed on five points, including the appointment of a special envoy, an immediate end to violence, access to humanitarian aid, and dialogue among “all parties” to the country’s conflict.
