ASEAN envoy to lead humanitarian mission to Myanmar

MANILA – ASEAN’s special envoy on Myanmar will lead a humanitarian mission to the country starting on Oct 28, said the Philippines, the chair of the regional grouping.The two-day visit by Ma. Theresa Lazaro, the Philippine foreign secretary, will include a trip to Myanmar’s Shan State and engagements in the capital Naypyitaw.No details were provided on the engagements.Myanmar’s army-backed government has yet to confirm the trip. In August, it said there was no longer a need for a special envoy.Lazaro has previously requested access to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since she was toppled from power in a 2021 military coup.The country is locked in a civil war that followed the coup, with an estimated 100,000 people killed and more than 3.5 million displaced.Myanmar’s top leadership remains barred from attending top ASEAN meetings due to a lack of compliance with an ASEAN-led peace plan.Some ASEAN members, however, have recently welcomed coup leader Min Aung Hlaing for official visits, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.Min Aung Hlaing was elected president in April after a lopsided election dominated by an army-backed party and is seeking re-engagement with ASEAN. REUTERS