Myanmar coup leader says military will consider Asean's proposal after 'stability' returns to country

Myanmar's military will consider the five-point consensus that Asean agreed upon, but only after the country's stability is secured, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on  Monday, Apr. 26.

Asean's suggestions to be considered when country is stable

According to Nikkei Asia, military-owned Myawaddy TV reported him saying at a State Administration Council meeting that the regime is currently prioritising the "stability" of the country.

He reportedly said: "The visit of the delegation team proposed by the Asean leaders will be considered to be allowed, depending on the stability of the country."

In a press release read out during the programme, the military said they have informed Asean that they will "give careful consideration" to the "constructive suggestions" made by the Asean leaders when "stability" returns to the country.

In a statement published on the Ministry of Information's website on Tuesday, Apr. 27, the military further said the suggestions would be "positively considered" if they serve "the interests of the country and was "based on purposes and principles enshrined" in Asean, Reuters reported.

Five-point consensus

Min Aung Hlaing had attended the meeting with other Asean leaders held at Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday, Apr. 24, despite opposition from both within and outside of Myanmar.

The meeting ended with the leaders reaching a consensus on the following points, as listed on the Chairman's statement released after:

1. An immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, and that all parties shall exercise utmost restraint
2. Constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the people's interests
3. Facilitation of mediation of the dialogue process by a special envoy of the Asean Chair (Brunei)
4. Providing humanitarian assistance through the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre)
5. A visit by the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned

In addition, the heads of government of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia called for the immediate release of all political detainees.State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint and other members of the democratically elected National League for Democracy, are still being detained.

More than 750 civilians have been killed by the military since it launched a crackdown on protesters who were against the Feb. 1 coup, according to rights group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Escalation of tensions

The situation appeared to have escalated recently as fighting between ethnic minority Karen insurgents and military soldiers broke out at an army outpost on Tuesday, Apr. 27, Reuters reported.

The Karen National Union (KNU) later said it had captured the army camp located near the Salween river that forms the Myanmar border with Thailand.

The KNU, which represents the ethnic Karen people, is the oldest rebel group in Myanmar.

Seeking self-determination, it has fought successive governments in one of the world's longest-running insurgencies up till 2012, when it agreed to a ceasefire with the government.

Several armed ethnic groups have sided with opponents of the junta. Ethnic minorities have joined in the protests against the military, and some protesters have even joined the armed ethnic minority groups in order to pose an armed resistance to the military.

The chaos in Myanmar has sparked warnings that the situation could descend into an outright civil war.

Top image via Getty Images & Twitter