Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held an online meeting with the prime minister of Myanmar’s civilian National Unity Government (NUG), Mahn Winn Khaing Thann, on Friday morning, according to the NUG, which said the shadow government’s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose rotating chair is currently held by Malaysia, were discussed.
“In the meeting, they had a discussion on issues related to enhancing relations with ASEAN Chair and the ASEAN member states and the effective delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar,” the NUG said in a statement Friday.
Friday’s talks were the first publicized meeting between NUG and ASEAN, though there have been a series of informal contacts.
Earlier, Anwar described his meeting in Bangkok with Myanmar’s junta leader on Thursday as “frank and constructive,” with a focus on the urgent humanitarian needs of the Myanmar people affected by the recent strong earthquake.
Anwar was in Bangkok on a two-day working visit that centered on coordinating assistance for Myanmar’s earthquake response and broader humanitarian aid.
He met Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at a Bangkok hotel. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a member of Anwar’s chief advisory team, was also present at the meeting, the junta announced on Thursday evening.
Anwar wrote on his Facebook that the discussions also covered the immediate deployment of a field hospital and stressed the importance of restoring normalcy in Myanmar.
He welcomed recent political gestures aimed at easing tensions, including the release of 4,800 detainees on Thursday.
“Such gestures are a meaningful signal. We continue to encourage all parties to engage seriously in the interest of Myanmar’s stability and the wellbeing of its people,” Anwar wrote.
Anwar previously noted that this would be the first time an ASEAN chair was to meet with the Myanmar junta leader.
He emphasized that while ASEAN continues to uphold the Five-Point Consensus as the main framework for engagement, the meeting was held on humanitarian grounds.
