No invite for Min Aung Hlaing to ASEAN Summit in Malaysia; 700 flee into Thailand after cyber scam center raids

No invite for Min Aung Hlaing to ASEAN Summit in Malaysia

Malaysia state media reported that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed on Thursday that Burma’s regime leader Min Aung Hlaing will not attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 47th Summit Oct. 26-28. The New Straits Times newspaper in Malaysia reported earlier this week that Min Aung Hlaing would attend the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, but has since removed the online article.

All high-level regime officials from Burma have been barred from ASEAN since Min Aung Hlaing failed to implement the Five Point Consensus, a peace plan introduced by the regional bloc in April 2021. Malaysia said that it is unlikely that ASEAN would send observers to the regime elections in Burma set to begin on Dec. 28 after the regime reported this following a meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan in Naypyidaw. 

On Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ASEAN 47th Summit agenda is the rise of cross-border cyber scam operations. “This issue has been raised in bilateral and regional meetings, with assurance given. This will again be raised in this summit because it affects the stability and health, economy and wellbeing of the region,” said Anwar, who is also expected to grant full ASEAN membership to Timor-Leste at the summit.