The ASEAN Envoy to Myanmar and Cambodia's foreign minister Prak Sokhonn arrived in Naypyitaw on 21 March 2022 to facilitate the peacemaking and implementation of the five-point consensus that the junta leaders and the ASEAN heads of the governments have reached in April 2021. The five-point consensus includes immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among all concerned parties, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. The ASEAN member countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines heavily criticized the junta for the lack of progress over a year after reaching the agreement in Jakarta.

Ahead of the ASEAN envoy’s visit, the Myanmar Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) said that the envoy’s proposed meeting with them has been canceled as the envoy has no time to meet with the team. The envoy will meet the military chief and some political parties and return to Cambodia on 23 March 2022.¹ The junta refused the envoy’s request to meet ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He is supposed to meet some members of NLD but the identity of the party members has not been revealed to the public nor confirmed by the NLD. In a statement, the General Strike Coordination Body, on behalf of 36 civil society groups, said that the envoy neglected outcomes and suggestions of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat that was held in Phanom Peng, Cambodia on 16 and 17 February 2022 including for the envoy to hold a formal discussion with The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) and National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG).²

Ousted NLD Union Minister for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Yangon Region High Court under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law for allegedly receiving bribes of blank checks worth 10 million kyats, 30 million kyats and a Ford Everest Titanium car worth 100.5 million kyats from a businessman.³

The United Nations announced that the humanitarian needs in Myanmar have grown as fighting continues in the southeast and northwest where over 500,000 people have been displaced since the coup. The UN spokesman said the “clashes, road blockages and military checkpoints limit the UN access to areas where needs are critical”.⁴

As of 18 March 2022, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) recorded that 1,687 people have been killed by the junta since the coup. There are 9,773 people currently under detention. There are 84 people who have been sentenced to death while 1,973 people are evading arrest warrants.⁵

Prepared by
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
21 March 2022, 11:30 am (Bangkok time)

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[1] https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/asean-envoy-to-myanmar-cancels-meeting-with-ethnic-armed-organizations.html
[2] https://www.facebook.com/gscbmyanmar/
[3] https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/former-union-minister-thura-u-aung-ko-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison-and-evidence-confiscated
[4] https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/myanmars-humanitarian-needs-increase-as-conflict-continues-says-united-nations
[5] https://aappb.org/?p=20399

Download the full update here: "Myanmar Situation Update (14-20 March 2022)"