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BIMSTEC invitation apart, Lanka undecided whether to recognise Myanmar junta
View(s):An invitation to Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin–a retired colonel appointed to that position after the February military coup — to participate in a Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting this month, did not signify Colombo had “accepted the military junta or rejected it”, says Foreign Secretary Admiral (Ret) Jayanath Colombage. “We don’t talk anything about it,” he said. “As far as BIMSTEC is concerned, Myanmar is a member. And it is the practice for us to write to the incumbent Foreign Minister, President or Prime Minister when extending an invitation.”
“As the BIMSTEC chair, we have to do the planning. The only thing is that it was an issue for the people of Myanmar and some others. We merely followed standard practice” Secretary Colombage adds.