Although the junta-appointed Foreign Minister, Mr Wunna Maung Lwin, was invited and attended the regional BIMSTEC meeting earlier this year, New Delhi does not send an invitation to the junta’s Foreign Minister for upcoming India – ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in what appears to be direct pressure from its Quad allies (Australia, Japan and U.S) at last week summit in Japan.
The Hindu Times has reported that New Delhi has decided to invite a non-political representative rather than the Foreign Minister.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sent an invitation yesterday to U Chan Aye – a Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for both the occasions of Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on 15 June and the Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 16 – 17 June.
This means the junta-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin is excluded from the India – ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
India has followed suit with what the U.S – ASEAN summit did as it excluded Myanmar in the meeting, with the decision not to invite the junta’s Foreign Minister.
This marks a progressive departure from its cosy engagement with Myanmar’s military regime.
Myanmar’s military junta does not respond to India’s invitation as of today.
