PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has returned from his official state visit to Myanmar on Saturday, 8 January. Cambodia’s premier has met with the current commander-in-chief of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to help find a solution to the country’s ongoing crisis and bring Myanmar back to ASEAN.
Founder of the win-win policy and Chair of ASEAN 2022, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has told Myanmar's military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, that based on experience and lessons learned in Cambodia, complete peace and national unity can only be achieved with the participation and consent of all parties involved.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, 7 January, it was stated that it is in this spirit that Myanmar military leader Min Aung Laing has promised to facilitate a visit of the special envoy to Myanmar and to meet with all parties, including ethnic armed groups, to take into account the full and actual situation in Myanmar.
The new ASEAN Chair's special envoy to Myanmar is Cambodian Foreign Minister, Prak Sokhonn, will play a key role in mediating the conflict between the two sides.
Speaking at the 23rd ASEAN Lecture on Cambodia's 2022 ASEAN Chairmanship, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon has mentioned, “We took a little bit of a different approach when we assumed the chairmanship and especially when I was appointed as Special Envoy to Myanmar.My role will be as facilitator and mediator, and the whole political process will be all Myanmar-led. We will not decide on behalf of the people of Myanmar."
Myanmar is now a country with two governments, about 20 ethnic armed groups, and going through one of the longest running civil wars in the world. Assessing the situation in Cambodia before 1998, it does not look much different from what Myanmar is experiencing today.
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, the civil war in Cambodia continued until 1998, only coming to an end through Prime Minister Hun Sen’s win-win policy, which brought peace and complete national reconciliation, no more armed groups, and the restoration of a single government in the country.
Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has promised to the Chaiman of ASEAN and Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen that he will facilitate the ASEAN special envoy's visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties in the conflict across the country, including ethnic armed groups. This promise was made during the visit of ASEAN Chairman 2022, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen to Myanmar and met with Min Aung Hlaing on the afternoon of January 7.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has informed that his military government has decided to declare a ceasefire with all ethnic armed groups until the end of 2022 and called on all parties to implement the ceasefire stand for the benefit of the nation and the people, stop all violence and exercise the utmost patience.
Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing has congratulated Cambodia on assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2022. General Min Aung Hlaing has also welcomed the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.
The General has pledged support to the Special Envoy to fulfill its role in implementing the five-point unanimous agreement in accordance with the ASEAN Charter.
In a joint statement issued on January 7, it stated: "His Excellency the Senior General welcomed the participation of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar to participate in the ceasefire talks with the Minorities Armed Forces.”
Prime Minister Hun Sen has shared the success of Cambodia's win-win policy, which has achieved national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability, development and prosperity. The PM has also emphasized that based on the experience and lessons learned in Cambodia, peaceful and national unity could not be achieved without the participation and consensus of all stakeholders.
The joint declaration is a positive sign that paves the way for the implementation of the five ASEAN consensus agreements for Myanmar, which has been stalled in the past.
