Duterte urges ASEAN to stand with Myanmar in solving crisis

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders to “stand with Myanmar” in resolving its crisis peacefully amid growing tensions in the nation.

Duterte attended a virtual meeting of the ASEAN for the second straight year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 39th ASEAN Summit, Duterte also urged all parties in Myanmar to engage in “constructive dialogue,” citing that the ASEAN Special Envoy must be allowed to visit Myanmar soon to meet all relevant parties.

“The President urged all parties in Myanmar to engage in constructive dialogue, stressing that the ASEAN Special Envoy must be allowed to visit Myanmar soon to meet all relevant parties,” Malacanang said in a statement.

Duterte was joined by leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei, host of the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits.

However, Myanmar was a no-show at the meetings after its junta refused to send a representative following its leader's exclusion for ignoring a peace roadmap agreed in April.

The February 1 coup ousted Myanmar's civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

The ASEAN meetings will run from October 26 to 28. -NB, GMA News