Myanmar Rejects ASEAN's Call for Unconditional Release of Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s military-backed government has rejected ASEAN’s latest call for the unconditional release of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, claiming the demand interferes with the country’s legal processes and internal policies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the regional bloc’s appeal regarding access to Suu Kyi and other prisoners impinges upon the judicial process and the principle of the rule of law in a sovereign state. “Any release will only be carried out in accordance with the law,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday (8/8).

The statement follows a recent visit by junta leader and President Min Aung Hlaing to Thailand, marking a development in Myanmar’s relations with ASEAN nations after years of isolation following the 2021 coup. Last month, Myanmar’s foreign minister also attended an informal ASEAN meeting, the first face-to-face engagement at that level since the military takeover.

ASEAN had previously urged the unconditional release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. The Philippines, as this year’s ASEAN chair, has also pushed for the bloc’s special envoy to visit Myanmar and meet with Suu Kyi. However, Myanmar’s foreign ministry now argues that the position of a special envoy is no longer necessary, claiming the current government has consolidated state responsibilities after multiparty elections. These elections, which saw Min Aung Hlaing assume the presidency, have been widely criticised by the international community for being held only in areas under junta control.

The 2021 coup triggered a civil war that has reportedly killed over 100,000 people and led to Myanmar’s exclusion from high-level ASEAN meetings until progress is made on the Five-Point Consensus, which calls for an end to violence against civilians and improved humanitarian access. Amid international pressure, a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was recently allowed to meet with Suu Kyi, producing a rare photograph of the detained Nobel laureate. Myanmar’s government insists it will continue engaging with ASEAN on its own terms while safeguarding national interests and sovereignty, warning the bloc against actions perceived as excessive pressure or interference in a member state’s domestic affairs.