ASEAN envoy says urged restraint from Myanmar military, discussed Aung San Suu Kyi access
Prak Sokhonn
A Southeast Asianenvoysaid on Wednesday he hadurgedMyanmar's rulingmilitaryto show restraint during offensives and was told by the junta leader there would be noaccessto ousted leader Aung SanSuuKyiwhile her trial was ongoing.
Prak Sokhonn, specialenvoyfor the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said he sought the release of prisoners including Australian economist Sean Turnell, and junta boss Min Aung Hlaing told him he would consider a request to seeSuuKyiand other detainees in future.
SuuKyiwas overthrown by themilitaryin a coup last year that sparked chaos and bloodshed in the country after a decade of tentative democratic reform.
The Nobel laureate is on trial for more than a dozen offences including violating a state secrets act and multiple counts of corruption. She has been found guilty of several crimes already, but has rejected all charges.
Prak Sokhonn said he understood that critics viewed his trip toMyanmarthis week as legitimising the junta. But he added he sees the two-day visit as a positive step towards resolving the crisis, which he said could not be done during Cambodia's ASEAN chairmanship this year.
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"TheMyanmarissue is complicated, it needs a long time to solve, we can't solve it during one chairmanship or the current chairmanship," he told reporters on his return to Cambodia.
"I know of various levels of expectations on the visit, I also know of people who want to see a ceasefire and me meeting all involved parties, and the return to normalcy of democracy," he said.
"I understand reasons behind criticism, they don't want me being giving legitimacy to the state councilors," he said, referring to the junta.
Prak Sokhonn's trip has frustrated opponents toMyanmar's junta because it was centred largely on the generals, with most meetings with other parties cancelled.
ASEANhas barred the generalsfromattending its summits until they see progress in a five-point "consensus" agreed last year to end the violence.
The United Nations last week said the army had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and was deliberately targeting civilians. Themilitaryhas yet to respond.
Watch |Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces new charge amid fresh violence