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Myanmar: Strong reactions abroad and protests at home due to the visit of the Prime Minister of Cambodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is set to pay a visit to Myanmar today to hold talks with the country’s ruling military, sparking protests by opponents of the junta, who fear the trip will legitimize the trip.

The Cambodian prime minister’s visit is the first by a leader to Myanmar since the February 1, 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, sparking mass demonstrations and a widespread protest movement.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an organization that leads efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, and in April adopted a five-point peace “consensus” plan.

Other ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, have expressed outrage over the junta’s failure in Myanmar to implement the peace plan, which has sparked friction between the group’s 10 members.

In Myanmar, opponents of the junta complain that Hun Sen’s visit is a sign of support for the military regime.

In Depayin, about 300 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital Naipaidu, protesters burned a photo of the Cambodian prime minister and shouted, “Hun Sen, do not come to Myanmar. We do not want dictator Hun Sen.”

There are also reports of protests in Mandalay and the Taninthari and Monigua areas.

In a speech Wednesday, Hun Sen called on all parties in Myanmar to show restraint and called for the implementation of the ASEAN peace plan.

“Brothers in Myanmar, do you want your country to be plunged into a real civil war or do you want the crisis to be resolved?” He commented. We want to achieve this goal “.

Following a telephone conversation with Hun Sen, Indonesian President Joko Widodo wrote on Twitter that unless significant progress was made on the peace plan, only non-political representatives from Myanmar should attend the ASEAN meetings.

Myanmar-based activist Min Ko Naing has warned in a social media post that Hun Sen will face protests during his visit, which will hurt ASEAN.

The General Strike Coordination Union, which includes more than 260 opposition groups to the Myanmar coup, also criticized Hun Sen’s visit, accusing him of supporting the military.

Amnesty International Deputy Director for International Research Emerlin Gill said Hoon Sen should cancel his trip and “lead strict action within ASEAN to address the horrific human rights situation” in Myanmar.

SOURCE: AMPE

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Source From: Capital

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