ASEAN to hold special meeting on Myanmar

HANOI: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers will convene a special meeting in Indonesia on Thursday (Oct 27) to discuss the Myanmar peace process, Cambodia's foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The event to take place at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta will cover the implementation of a five-point peace consensus on the Myanmar situation in an effort to end the conflict in the country, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported according to the spokesman of the ministry Chum Sounry,

Cambodia is the current Chairman of the regional bloc.

The ASEAN consensus had been agreed upon at the bloc's Leaders Meeting (ALM) in Jakarta last April.

It calls for the "immediate cessation of violence" with all parties exercising "utmost restraint"; a constructive dialogue among all parties; the mediation of such talks by a special envoy of the ASEAN chair; provision of humanitarian assistance coordinated by ASEAN; and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation, headed by the special envoy, to meet with all parties.

In August, Myanmar's leader, Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said that some points of the consensus would be implemented this year.

-- BERNAMA