00:00Opposition MP Saifuddin Abdullah has urged Foreign Minister Mohammad Hassan
00:04to skip tomorrow's informal meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers
00:08and Myanmar's representative in Bangkok.
00:11Saifuddin said Myanmar's janta has repeatedly ignored ASEAN's efforts to resolve the crisis,
00:17refusing calls for dialogue, escalating violence against civilians
00:21and on July 9, approved a motion that rejected the regional bloc's five-point consensus.
00:26He questioned why ASEAN is rewarding the janta with higher levels of engagement despite the rejection.
00:32He said Malaysia should not support the meeting as it goes against the objectives it championed
00:37during its ASEAN chairmanship.
00:39Saifuddin, a former foreign minister, also warned current ASEAN chair, the Philippines,
00:44against normalizing ties with Myanmar's janta.
00:47He said the military government could use such engagement to boost its political legitimacy.
00:52Saifuddin also criticized the total exclusion of Rohingya representatives from the upcoming meetings,
00:59noting that Malaysia hosts more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled persecution in Myanmar.
01:06He questioned how engaging the janta without Rohingya participation could possibly advance the restoration of their citizenship,
01:13ensure equal rights or support safe and dignified repatriation to Malaysia.
01:18Saifuddin said the janta cannot be the sole party responsible for resolving the crisis it created.
Comments