Vietnam calls for restraint in Myanmar crisis

During a meeting with the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener in Indonesia on the sidelines of the ASEAN leaders’ summit Saturday, Son said Vietnam is closely following developments in Myanmar and is playing an active part, together with ASEAN, in looking for the most suitable solutions to deal with its ongoing crisis.

The only ASEAN country now working as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Vietnam has been striving for the U.N. to enter balanced and comprehensive discussions on Myanmar, Son said, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

He expressed his hope the international community, the U.N. and Burgener herself would support and assist ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular in dealing with the issue.

Burgerner said there have been attempts to seek solutions to the current tensions in Myanmar.

The U.N. special envoy expressed her concern about loss of civilian life, especially women and children in Myanmar, and hoped ASEAN would take positive steps, contributing to the settlement of disagreements, and bring peace to Myanmar.

Myanmar has been in crisis since a coup on Feb. 1, with almost daily protests and a crackdown by the junta in which hundreds of people have been killed.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Burmese activist group, says 745 people have been killed by security forces since the coup and 3,371 people detained.

The special summit between leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Saturday, chaired by Brunei's Sultan and Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah.

Myanmar's military junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Jakarta on Saturday to attend the summit at which analysts expect little progress apart from serving as a necessary first step towards international dialogue.