KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday he will meet Myanmar’s isolated junta chief in Bangkok this week as the strongman makes a rare trip abroad to discuss earthquake relief.
The ASEAN has barred junta officials from summits after their 2021 coup deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and plunged Myanmar into a fractious civil war.
But Anwar – who holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN – said he would meet Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday to discuss the safety of Malaysian aid workers dispatched to help after last month’s earthquake.
More than 3,600 people were killed in the March 28 disaster which destroyed more than 5,000 buildings, according to official figures, and left more than two million in need, said the United Nations.
Myanmar’s junta announced a ceasefire following the magnitude-7.7 quake. While monitors say fighting has continued, Anwar said he would appeal for the truce to continue beyond its April 22 expiry date.
