Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his capacity as chair of ASEAN, called on Myanmar's ruling State Administration Council (SAC) leader Min Aung Hlaing to reconsider plans to execute members of opposition groups.
In a June 10 letter, Hun Sen said that the death sentences for those opposing the SAC are causing great concern among ASEAN member states as well as the bloc’s outside partners.
“Cambodia strongly believes that if the execution plans were carried out it would cause a widespread negative reaction from the international community. It will also have serious impacts on the efforts made by ASEAN and Cambodia as ASEAN chair in supporting Myanmar’s return to normalcy and on the efforts to find a peaceful solution for the current state of affairs through inclusive dialogue based on ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus.
“Therefore, with great concern and in an honest attempt to help Myanmar to achieve peace and national reconciliation, I frankly request that Your Excellency and the SAC reconsider this sentence and avoid the use of the death penalty for all SAC antagonists,” Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen reiterated his commitment to help Myanmar return to normalcy and return to full participation in the ten-nation bloc.
He also said that ASEAN is currently at the centre of a geopolitical competition between superpowers and all developments in the region draw international attention.
The United Nations said on June 10 that the junta had announced that they would execute four people whose appeals were rejected following closed-door trials.
According to the UN, the group includes former legislator Phyo Zeya Thaw and veteran activist Kyaw Min Yu, known as Ko Jimmy. Both were sentenced to death by a military tribunal in January on charges of treason and terrorism.
Media reports indicate that Myanmar’s military tribunals have sentenced 114 people to death since they assumed power in a February, 2021 military coup.
