Myanmar leader says ASEAN blind to opposition’s violence

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — The leader of Myanmar’s military-installed government says other Southeast Asian countries should share responsibility for failing to help quell the violence that has engulfed his nation since the army seized power in February. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in a speech broadcast on state television blamed groups that were organized to oppose the military takeover for the ongoing deadly unrest. He suggested that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had failed to recognize the responsibility of opposition groups for the violence and said his government was seeking to restore peace and stability. Opposition to military rule initially took the form of nonviolent protests, but escalated to armed self-defense after security forces used deadly force to disperse demonstrations.