Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup ousted Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis as it tries to form a united position on the junta-run country.
"Only a political solution will lead to a durable peace," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told ASEAN counterparts in her opening remarks on the second day of talks in Jakarta.
The meeting was dealt a surprise when Thailand's foreign minister disclosed he met with Myanmar's ousted democracy leader Suu Kyi on his own on Sunday in the country's capital Naypyidaw and said she was in "good health".
In the meeting Suu Kyi -- who has only been seen once since she was detained after the coup in early 2021 -- "encouraged dialogue", Don Pramudwinai told reporters on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.
The Philippines' foreign minister said Don briefed ASEAN ministers on his meeting with Suu Kyi, but he reiterated any independent effort to restart the peace process should be in line with a five-point ASEAN plan agreed two years ago with Myanmar's junta.
"We feel any initiative should be consistent with the five-point consensus. He (Don) just reported on that," Enrique Manalo told reporters.
Indonesia's top diplomat repeated the bloc's position that a resumption of dialogue between Myanmar's warring parties and a negotiated political pact would be the only way to bring an end to more than two years of turmoil.
"We are still very much concerned to see the continuing and increasing violence in Myanmar. We strongly urge all stakeholders to denounce violence as this is paramount to build trust," Marsudi said.
ASEAN efforts to kick-start the five-point plan that calls for an end to violence and renewed peace talks have been fruitless, as Myanmar's junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents.
The bloc's initiatives are limited by its charter principles of consensus and non-interference.
- 'Complex and delicate' -
Ministers were still hammering out a joint position on Myanmar on the second day of talks but a communique would be issued by the end of the meeting on Wednesday, a Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In an early draft of the joint communique seen by AFP, the Myanmar section was left blank.
ASEAN has tried to show a united front at its official high-level meetings from which Myanmar is barred, but Thailand last month hosted the junta's foreign minister for controversial "informal talks" that further split the bloc.
On Wednesday, Marsudi appeared to criticise that meeting, which Indonesia did not attend.
"The implementation of the five-point consensus should remain the focus of ASEAN," she said. "Any other efforts must support the implementation of (that plan)."
After a morning meeting, Marsudi said all ASEAN members "stressed the importance of unity" and backed the five-point plan.
In its seven months as chair, Jakarta had held more than 110 engagements concerning Myanmar, she added.
On Thursday an ASEAN-plus-three ministerial meeting with Japan, South Korea and China will take place ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum and an 18-nation East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting on Friday, which will also include Washington and Beijing.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in capital Jakarta Wednesday for an unannounced trilateral meeting with Marsudi and China's top diplomat Wang Yi.
Wang is representing Beijing in place of Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was unable to attend for "health reasons", the Chinese foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Biden meets with exiled Belarus opposition leader in Vilnius
Vilnius (AFP) July 12, 2023 -
US President Joe Biden met Wednesday with exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya while in Vilnius attending a NATO summit, the White House said.
Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 presidential elections, has been in exile in since the aftermath of the disputed vote, and lives in Lithuania.
Biden's meeting with Tikhanovskaya underscored "the continued commitment of the United States to defend and advance human rights, including freedom of expression, and free and fair elections in Belarus," the White House said.
Belarus is an authoritarian state in which opposition voices and independent media have been stifled during Lukashenko's nearly three decades in power.
Biden's meeting with Tikhanovskaya comes after Lukashenko last month acted as mediator between Moscow and the Wagner group after its short-lived rebellion against Russia's army, producing a deal under which Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had been supposed to move to Belarus.
Last week, Tikhanovskaya said she had received an anonymous message saying her jailed husband Sergei Tikhanovsky, who she has not heard from since March, was dead.
Tikhanovsky had planned to run against Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election but was arrested and detained before the vote.
Svetlana, who ran in his place, has been sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison.
Hong Kong questions family of wanted activist Nathan Law: police source
Hong Kong (AFP) July 11, 2023 -
Hong Kong briefly took in three family members of exiled democracy activist Nathan Law for questioning on Tuesday, a week after authorities issued a bounty on him and seven others accused of breaching the city's national security law.
Police confirmed to AFP that its national security department took away two men and a woman for investigation, without naming them.
"They are suspected of assisting persons wanted by police to continue to commit acts and engage in activities that endanger national security," the police said in a statement.
Authorities last week offered rewards of HK$1 million ($128,000) for information leading to the arrests of eight prominent democracy activists now based abroad, accusing them of subversion, foreign collusion and other crimes.
A police source earlier told AFP that officers brought in Law's parents and elder brother without formally arresting them, adding that Law's flat was searched.
The trio were taken in so that police could "learn whether they have provided financial support for Law and whether they are Law's agents in Hong Kong," the source said.
"Law's family members were allowed to leave after giving statements to police."
Law, who was granted asylum in Britain in 2021, in a statement Tuesday evening denied any financial connection with the three people and said his work was "totally unrelated" to them.
"The idea of 'getting assistance from them' is completely absurd," Law told AFP.
City leader John Lee on Tuesday repeated his call to the public to stay away from the wanted activists and to treat them like "rats in the street".
"Police have received some information and will continue to gather intelligence, and enforce the law strictly and relentlessly," Lee told reporters.
The move on Tuesday came days after Hong Kong arrested five men for supporting the wanted activists.
Law had previously said in response to the bounties that Hong Kong abused the concept of national security to suppress dissident voices.
After fleeing Hong Kong, Law said in 2020 that he had cut ties with his family and that he was not in contact with them.
The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia -- where the eight wanted activists reside -- have issued statements criticising the bounties.
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub.
Police have arrested 260 people under the national security law so far, with 79 of them convicted or awaiting sentencing in Hong Kong.
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