Myanmar shadow gov’t demands invite for ASEAN summit talks

Parallel ‘national unity government’ says it wants to take part in crisis talks scheduled for next week in Indonesia.

Myanmar’s shadow government has urged Southeast Asian leaders to give it a seat at the table during crisis talks next week, and not to recognise the military rulers that seized power in a February coup. Military government leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is expected to join a special ASEAN summit on Myanmar on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia – his first official overseas trip since the coup that overthrew civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Moe Zaw Oo, deputy minister of foreign affairs for the parallel “national unity government” – formed on Friday by overthrown politicians mostly from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, as well as ethnic-minority politicians – said ASEAN had not reached out to them.