Sentiment is warming among some Southeast Asian nations toward easing Myanmar¡¯s isolation five years after a coup, with diplomats signaling a possible opening to bring the crisis-torn nation back into the fold.
A top Cambodian official, speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), cited the release of more than 4,000 prisoners in Myanmar and the transfer of former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to house arrest as grounds to deepen engagement. Indonesia¡¯s foreign minister separately echoed those comments, while Thailand has also signaled the need for talks.
¡°There will be ongoing conversations¡± among ASEAN members, said Kung Phoak, a senior official in Cambodia¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, when asked if Myanmar¡¯s?coup chief-turned-president?Min Aung Hlaing?could be invited to attend the next summit, slated for November.
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