ASEAN Chairperson’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Alounkeo Kittikhoun met with junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the State Administration Council Office in Nay Pyi Taw on 15 May and discussed ASEAN’s support for a peaceful resolution to the current situation in Myanmar, possible areas of cooperation between ASEAN and Myanmar, and the provision of humanitarian assistance, the military council said in a statement.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and AHA Centre Executive Director Mr. Lee Yam Ming also attended the meeting. The junta’s statement mentioned that they had briefed the regional officials on their election preparations to ensure the continuation of the democratic process. 1
On 14 May, representatives from Myanmar’s resistance organizations – the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the National Unity Government (NUG) met with Mr. Komura Masahiro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, in Japan. At the meeting, the resistance representatives called for Japan’s support in the international campaign to ban aviation fuel to Myanmar, urged Japan to persuade India not to transfer arms to the junta, and provide humanitarian aid through channels other than the military. 2
A Human Rights Watch report on 21 May revealed that despite the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge to take appropriate action against the Myanmar military, Japanese companies such as Yokogawa Bridge Corp continue business dealings with military-owned conglomerates such as Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), paying over US$2 million in 2022-23 for steel for the Bago River Bridge Construction Project. 3
On 13 May, human rights activist Ms. Nandita Haksar called for the Indian government to support Myanmar refugees in India during a discussion titled “The Situation in Myanmar and Implications for India” at the India International Centre in New Delhi. Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer, teacher, human rights campaigner, and writer. 4
1 ASEAN Special Envoy meets with military council
2 Japan receives Myanmar’s ethnic resistance leaders
3 HRW calls on Japan to impose sanctions on junta chief and military-run businesses
4 Indian human rights campaigner calls on India to help Myanmar refugees