Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must consider ways to impose accountability on the Myanmar junta, a United Nations expert said on Wednesday.
Thomas Andrews, who is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the UN, said that ASEAN must not engage the military leaders in meetings, noting that there has been no progress from the junta on implementing the Five-Point Consensus.
"The junta has been able to maintain its obstruction of the Five-Point Consensus with impunity," he stated at a press conference in Jakarta.
"ASEAN must consider measures to impose accountability on the junta for its grave human rights violations and blatant disregard for the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus," he added.
At the November summit last year, ASEAN leaders had called for a "further review" of Myanmar's representation at meetings.
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The leaders had also underlined the need for "measurable indicators with a specific timeline" on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
However, more than six months later, "further review has not happened and there has been no progress on the development of this implementation plan," Andrews noted.
His remarks came on the heels of the Thai government inviting ASEAN foreign ministers and Myanmar junta representatives to a meeting this week.
However, some ASEAN member countries, including Indonesia, refused to attend the meeting.
Indonesia is of the view that the approach taken by the Thai government by involving parties involved in the political conflict in Myanmar has violated the mandate of the Five-Point Consensus.
Andrews said the meeting in Thailand "can have a dangerous effect of legitimizing the junta and undermining ASEAN unity."
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