It’s a no go: ASEAN Special Envoy Sokhonn can’t make third visit to Myanmar

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn, as the Special Envoy on Myanmar, will not make a planned third official visit to Myanmar, with time running out when  Cambodia’s term as ASEAN Chair expires at the end of the month, and he is scheduled to attend a key summit in Brussels.

However, analysts have speculated that the trip will not be made because Myanmar’s ruling State Administration Council (SAC) has not shown progress in implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and recently sentenced seven university students, detained during a crackdown on dissent, to death.

Luy David, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday that Sokhonn is due to attend the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels from December 14.

“We cannot visit Myanmar for the third time because the time is too short and we will leave this opportunity for Indonesia as ASEAN’s chair next year to continue this work.

“Cambodia has tried to help resolve the political crisis in Myanmar and we have put a lot of effort into this political crisis already,” David added.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Chum Sounry said on November 17, that Sokhonn planned to travel to Myanmar for a third time to seek a resolution to its crisis if the junta showed progress (in implementing the 5PC).

“As the ASEAN Chair 2022, Cambodia remains committed to moving forward the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, and therefore, the ASEAN Chair Special Envoy stands ready to pay his third visit to Myanmar anytime by the end of 2022 when we see the possibility for progress in this purpose,” he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw in January and Sokhonn as Special Envoy visited the country twice in March and June.

Agencies