ASEAN excludes Myanmar from summit

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will invite a non-political representative instead of Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the grouping’s chair Brunei said Saturday.

The 10-member bloc has been under intense international pressure to do more to force member state Myanmar to halt the violence that has left more than 1,100 civilians dead and free scores of political figures, including ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN foreign ministers held an emergency meeting late Friday after Myanmar refused to cooperate with the bloc’s crisis envoy, Brunei Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof. He was appointed in August to mediate in the crisis but abruptly cancelled a trip to Myanmar this week after he was told he would not be able to meet with Suu Kyi and others as he wanted.