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Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing (photo taken on March 27)
Photo: STRINGER / REUTERS
The mass protests in Myanmar have apparently been stopped for the time being by massive violence, but there is still resistance against the military regime.
Last week, under the name of the "Government of National Unity" (NUG), a government against the junta called itself out, but it is not yet internationally recognized.
The NUG also includes politicians from the disempowered government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Now the new alliance has turned to the international police agency Interpol to get the junta chief Min Aung Hlaing arrested on his trip to the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
The meeting will take place in Jakarta on Saturday.
The letter to Interpol states that since Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing came to power, more than 700 people have been killed by violence by the emergency services, and around 3,000 are in custody.
"Since he is a terrorist and a criminal, both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be investigated against him."
Several heads of government can be represented at the summit
The heads of state and government of the Asean countries want to discuss the crisis in their member country Myanmar in the Indonesian capital.
However, the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte can be represented by their foreign ministers.
Despite criticism from human rights organizations and activists, Hlaing wants to travel to Jakarta.
The newspaper »The Irrawaddy« commented: »The eagerly awaited› special summit ‹of the Asean (...) can be declared null and void before it even starts."
Ei Thinzar Maung, a leader of the protest movement against the generals, called on the Asean on Friday to officially recognize the "government of national unity" at their meeting and to invite their representatives.
Myanmar should not be represented by "the unofficial military government".
"The Asean states have to listen to everyone involved if they want to solve the problems," said the activist of the dpa news agency.
"If you only invite the military, you will support and strengthen the coup and its leaders."
fek / dpa