Saifuddin, Myanmar's NUG Foreign Minister meet in Washington

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah had an informal meeting with Foreign Minister of Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), Zin Mar Aung in Washington D.C. on Saturday.

In his Twitter posting, Saifuddin said he expressed Malaysia's support and solidarity with the people of Myanmar and stood ready to work towards restoring peace and democracy in the country.

"We took the opportunity to exchange views on latest developments in Myanmar, where Minister Zin shared insights as well as challenges faced by NUG, including humanitarian assistance, technical training and education for the Myanmar refugees," he added.

Saifuddin previously reiterated Malaysia's stand that the ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy to Myanmar should engage all stakeholders, including representatives from Myanmar's NUG and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC).

He made the call at the ASEAN Foreign Minister's Informal Meeting on Thursday in Washington D.C., held ahead of the ASEAN-US Summit on May 12 and 13.

According to human rights organisation the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), at least 1,800 civilians had been killed while over 10,000 people have been arrested and almost 1,000 jailed since the Feb 1, 2021 coup.

-- BERNAMA