PHNOM PENH: The King of Cambodia, His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, has expressed concern over the political crisis in Myanmar, which he said could destroy the foundations of the ASEAN Community that the 10 member states have been building up since the past.

In his opening message for the 43rd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, read by the First Vice President of the National Assembly, Cheam Yeap, on Monday morning, 21 November 2022, His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni stated that ASEAN has maintained regional stability and peace for decades, which has created many good opportunities for the people living in these Southeast Asian nations.

He stressed the importance of peace in the region, saying that the loss of peace in Myanmar has hampered the country's development and affected the ASEAN community as a whole.

"The political crisis in Myanmar not only exacerbates internal political violence and armed conflicts but will deprive the people of Myanmar of the opportunity for human development," he said. "Worse yet, it can undermine the very foundations of our ASEAN Community, which we all have worked so hard to build."

This is the first time that the King of Cambodia has held a royal hearing on the crisis in Myanmar.

The Myanmar crisis stems from a military coup conducted on 1 February 2021, which saw the arrest of State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and several other ruling party officials by the Myanmar Armed Forces, who declared it refused to recognise election results from November 2020, and thus handed over the country’s leadership to the Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, Min Aung Hlaing.

The coup sparked widespread protests in Myanmar, with numerous armed groups opposing the military regime.

Myanmar is now a country with two governments and about 20 ethnic armed groups. The ongoing conflict is one of the longest continuing wars in the world.

By Hun Sirivadh / Politics