Suu Kyi sets foot in PH for 31st ASEAN Summit

FILE: Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has arrived in the Philippines for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits. (Photo By Foreign and Commonwealth Office, CC BY 2.0)

CLARK, Pampanga — Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has arrived in the Philippines for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.

Suu Kyi’s plane landed at the Clark International Airport at 2 p.m. Saturday and was welcomed by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Jerril Santos, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Vivencio Dizon.

Myanmar’s de facto leader came from Da Nang, Vietnam, where she attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which concluded Friday.

According to the State Counselor’s official website, Aung San Suu Kyi’s delegation here include National Security Advisor U Thaung Tun, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin, Union Ministers Thura U Aung Ko and U Kyaw Win, and other officials.

Aung San Suu Kyi was invited to attend the launch of ASEAN Mentors for Entrepreneurship (AMEN), a flagship program of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City on Sunday along with other ASEAN leaders.

On the same day, she is also expected at the Special Gala Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN and the East Asia Summit (EAS) Leaders’ Retreat at the SMX Convention in Pasay City.

Aside from the 31st ASEAN Summit beginning Monday, Suu Kyi will be attending the ASEAN-United States Summit, ASEAN-China Summit, ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit, ASEAN-Japan Summit, and the ASEAN-United Nations Summit.

Suu Kyi, along with leaders of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, will meet for the Mekong-Japan Summit.

On Tuesday, Myanmar’s State Counselor will attend the ASEAN-India Summit, East Asia Summit, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit, as well as commemorative summits of ASEAN with Plus Three countries (China, Japan, South Korea) or the APT, Canada, and the European Union.

Moreover, ASEAN leaders are being pressed on to raise human rights crises in the region, including the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

On Friday, DFA Acting Spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said the ASEAN, and the Philippines — as the ASEAN chair for this year — are open to Myanmar raising the Rohingya issue before the meetings at next week’s Summit.

Suu Kyi was a Nobel Peace Prize awardee in 1991 for her campaign for democracy in Myanmar despite a military-backed government.