UN special envoy for Myanmar Noleen Heyzer met with the Cambodian prime minister and the current chairman of ASEAN Hun Sen and the ASEAN special envoy for Myanmar Prak Sokhonn. She said that she had initiated a “multi-exit framework based on a three-layered circle”, including its first layer of “center of the circle”, which encompasses the facets of the resolution process that are led by, belong to, and reflect the will of the people of Myanmar. The second layer of the aspects led by ASEAN and the bordering countries of Myanmar and the third process is spearheaded by the international community. She stressed the importance of ASEAN listening carefully to all voices on the ground in supporting durable peace and national reconciliation in the country. The Cambodian ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that there will be another virtual meeting between Hun Sen and Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing followed by his second visit to Myanmar. There will be a consultative meeting on humanitarian assistance in early May to exchange views with different stakeholders on how to effectively deliver humanitarian assistance to those most in need.

Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn completed a three-day visit to Myanmar in late March 2022 as the ASEAN envoy to Myanmar which has been highly criticized by Myanmar civil society organizations and the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) for not meeting all parties around the conflict in Myanmar.

In a statement, India For Myanmar strongly condemned the actions of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) member states for inviting the junta led by General Min Aung Hlaing to represent the Government of the Union of Myanmar at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit. The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of the National Unity Government of Myanmar Zin Mar Aung also expressed NUG’s disappointment for inviting the military junta to represent Myanmar in the BIMSTEC summit.

Junta-appointed foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin visited China and met the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who expressed that China is ready to work with Myanmar to deepen exchanges and cooperation in all areas and strengthen coordination with Myanmar to help overcome difficulties. In a statement, NUG warned China that any effort of building a partnership with the military junta would be rejected by Myanmar’s people and could seriously damage China’s international reputation.

The Myanmar Accountability Project also announced that a criminal case was filed in Istanbul, Turkey against the junta leaders for touture. This is also the first time that such a case has been filed in a national court system outside Myanmar.

The media also reported that a freelance journalist based in Myawaddy in Karen State has been charged under section 505 (A) of the Myanmar penal code for incitement. Last week, the junta charged four journalists under the same section of the Myanmar penal code. A total of 115 journalists have been arrested by the military council since the February 2021 coup and 39 are still in detention.

As of 1 April 2022, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) recorded that 1,723 people have been killed by the junta since the coup. There are 10,007 people currently under detention. There are 100 people who have been sentenced to death while 1,976 people are evading arrest warrants.

Prepared by
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
4 April 2022, 11:30 a.m. (Bangkok time)

Download the full update here: "Myanmar Situation Update (28 March - 3 April 2022)"