BATTAMBANG: The President of ASEAN in 2022, Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that the crisis in Myanmar, Cambodia is in the threshold. Either the premier do something about it or not, it will still be criticise and so, Samdech Hun Sen has chosen to be the instigator. And he was the first leader to do so to visit the country in turmoil and to try to resolve the issue.

Speaking at the Inauguration Ceremony of National Road No. 5 from Battambang to Serei Sophorn City, Banteay Meanchey Province on Monday morning, 10 January, he stated that in the situation where Cambodia leads ASEAN in 2022, there are set of circumstances pushing Cambodia to resolve, aside from the fact that Myanmar issue is a priority of Cambodia's ASEAN leadership.

Prime Minister Hun Sen was quoted as saying ; "Understand that I am in a difficult situation, either I do or not do anything, I will still be critisise, other nations and bashers have their eyes fixate on me so, I decided to do something and act on it, but I got more than what I was expecting as a result of my visit to Myanmar. At first, I just wanted a ceasefire, but I did not expect that General Min Aung Hlaing will give the special envoy to the ASEAN chair on Myanmar to discuss with other armed forces to implement the ceasefire. Everything can be settled in a truce with this ceasefire. All parties can sit, have a dialogue and listen to each other.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen travels to Myanmar to meet with military leader Min Aung Hlaing on 7 January 2022, to help resolve the country's stalemate and bring Myanmar back to ASEAN too. As a result, Min Aung Hlaing promised him that the Myanmar military government will extend the ceasefire until the end of 2022, facilitate the process of receiving ASEAN aid, and facilitate the ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar to meet with the all parties that involved in the conflict in the country, including ethnic armed groups.

The prime minister has mentioned that the success of his official visit to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has saved the lives of the people their and paved the way for peace. He described those who opposed the result as wanting more deaths and war in Myanmar.

" If one is against the ceasefire, one wants the people to die and suffer because of it," he said. There are those who bashed and burned my photos, even stepped on it, but you have to remember that your life will be saved from the flames of war, with the role of ASEAN and its initiative, that’s the purpose of my visit to Myanmar. And the leaders of Myanmar have agreed to do this. It is not easy. This is in the ASEAN scriptures. There must be an immediate end to the violence in Myanmar. All parties must exercise maximum restraint."

 The crisis in Myanmar stems from the military coup that took place on 1 February 2021, the arrest of State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myin and other ruling party officials by the Myanmar Armed Forces. Not recognizing the election results in November 2020 and handing over the leadership of the country to the Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, Mr. Min Aung Hlaing.

The coup has angered the people of Myanmar, who have staged a series of protests as armed groups oppose the military regime.

Myanmar is now a country with two governments and about 20 ethnic armed groups, having one of the longest running civil wars in the world. The prime minister’s visit to Myanmar on 7 January gave a positive signal for the resumption of peace talks in the country, while PM Hun Sen has called on ASEAN to establish two more mechanisms: a coordination mechanism, a ceasefire and assistance to maintain the status quo. Stabilize and pave the way for the provision of aid to the country.