ASEAN ministers pick Brunei diplomat as envoy to Myanmar

Southeast Asian foreign ministers have picked Brunei's second foreign minister as their special envoy to Myanmar, in a breakthrough after months of delay for regional mediation to help end the country’s deepening crisis

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Wednesday picked Brunei Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof as their special envoy to Myanmar, in a breakthrough after months of delay for regional mediation to help end the country's deepening crisis. In a joint statement after their annual meeting, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asians said Erywan will begin his work in Myanmar to “build trust and confidence with full access to all parties concerned." The 10-nation bloc has been under increasing international pressure to act on violence and instability in Myanmar, an ASEAN member where the military in February toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and cracked down on opponents. The ministers reiterated their concerns, including reports of fatalities and violence. But they stopped short of calling for the release of political detainees, saying only they “heard calls” for their freedom, in a reflection of the sensitivity over the issue.