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Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in Clark for 31st ASEAN Summit


Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi walks with a Filipino military officer upon her arrival to attend the ASEAN Summit and related meetings, in Clark, Pampanga. <b>Reuters</b>
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi walks with a Filipino military officer upon her arrival to attend the ASEAN Summit and related meetings, in Clark, Pampanga. Reuters


The State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, arrived at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga on Saturday afternoon to represent her country for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings.

The plane carrying the Nobel laureate and head of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs landed around 2:20 p.m. at the Clark Airport.

She was welcomed by former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan,  and Clark International Airport CEP Alexander Caugiran.

Though she is technically Myanmar's state counselor, Suu Kyi is considered her country's de facto leader.

 

 

She has been hailed as an icon of democracy in Myanmar for her unwavering stand on freedom and human rights.

She has condemned human rights abuses in Rakhine state in Myanmar but has relatively kept mum on accusations of ethnic cleansing of the “virtually stateless” Rohingya people, who are also dubbed the “world’s most persecuted minority.”

Just seven months ago, in April, Suu Kyi also traveled to the Philippines for the 30th ASEAN Summit.

Myanmar joined the ASEAN on July 23, 1997. The country hosted the ASEAN Summit for the first time in 2014. — with Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/MDM, GMA News

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