South East Asian leaders have asked the head of the Myanmar army to end the violence in the country.
The military regime took power in a coup in February this year.
Myanmar army head General Min Aung Hlaing was in Jakarta in Indonesia on Saturday to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Political leaders of South East Asian countries asked General Min Aung Hlaing to stop killing people who are protesting and release political prisoners.
More than 700 people have lost their lives and thousands have been detained since February this year.
The Myanmar was asked to stop immediate violence and engage in peaceful dialogue with civilian leaders.
The entire process will be monitored by a special Asean delegation, which will also visit Myanma
Myanmar’s newly formed National Unity Government (NUG), a group made up of pro-democracy figures, representatives of the ethnic groups and members of leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s former government welcomed this suggestion, a report stated.
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Several leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi are still being kept in detention by the military.
Several protestors could be seen holding placards with “Restore democracy” and “We stand against the military coup” written on them.
There were also peaceful demonstrations in several cities of Myanmar.
However, ASEAN leaders have drawn flack for inviting the man behind the violence in Myanmar to the summit.
Meanwhile, Min Aung Hlaing has accepted the call for immediate end to violence and the start of dialogue with a civil movement.
This is a positive development as the military head had refused to heed to appeals for peace until now.
ASEAN countries fear that unless the military regime changes course, this may end in a civil war or failed state.
United Nation’s secretary general António Guterres had called for the ASEAN summit to resolve Myanmar’s grave political turmoil.
The military declared a year-long state of emergency, claiming that leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party (NLD) came to power by indulging in fraud during the general elections in Myanmar last year.
The military however, assured that free and fair elections will be held in Myanmar once the state of emergency is over.