MALAYSIAN Foreign Minister Zambry Abd Kadir will not be able to attend an informal discussion on Myanmar scheduled to be held in Thailand tomorrow.

The Foreign Ministry, in a statement, cited prior commitments as the reason for Zambry missing the discussion proposed by Thailand. 

“The ministry also recalls the decision of the recent 42nd Asean Summit in Labuan Bajo which reiterated that the Five-Point Consensus remains Asean’s valid reference and mandate in addressing the Myanmar issue,” it added. 

In this regard, the statement said Malaysia remains supportive of the efforts being undertaken by the Asean chairman, particularly the Office of the Special Envoy. 

“It is important that Asean members demonstrates its unity in support of the Asean chair and Asean processes, which are in line with the mandate and decisions made by the bloc’s leaders,” it added.

Myanmar-focused news website The Irrawaddy had reported earlier that Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in a letter had proposed to host an informal ministerial meeting with Myanmar on June 18-19.

Since the military coup in February 2021, more than 3,600 civilians have been killed, over 19,000 arrested, and more than 1.8 million were internally displaced or have fled the country, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. – Bernama, June 18, 2023.