{
  "id": 360903,
  "title": "Myanmar rejects ASEAN's call to free Aung San Suu Kyi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/myanmar-rejects-aseans-call-to-free-aung-san-suu-kyi-360903",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T09:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260809/myanmar-rejects-aseans-call-to-free-aung-san-suu-kyi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Myanmar's military-led administration has rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) latest plea for the immediate release of former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, stating that no such unconditional release is required, according to the country's foreign affairs ministry. President Min Aung Hlaing, who took power in 2021 by overthrowing Suu Kyi's democratic government, has been striving to regain political standing and reestablish ASEAN ties since the coup. ASEAN proposed a peace initiative in April 2021 to stop the violence and open a dialogue between the various factions, with a special envoy tasked to facilitate these discussions. However, Min Aung Hlaing has been prevented from attending high-level gatherings due to his refusal to follow the proposed peace plan. In a possible move to appease critics, the government permitted a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to meet with the 81-year-old Suu Kyi last week, marking the first authorized visit by an external international humanitarian organization since her detention.",
  "summary": "BANGKOK — Myanmar’s military-backed government has rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ renewed call for the unconditional release of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dismissed the need for the organization’s special envoy on Myanmar, according to the foreign affairs ministry. President Min Aung Hlaing , the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Myanmar junta rebuffs ASEAN call to free Aung San Suu Kyi, questions need for envoy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/myanmar-junta-rebuffs-asean-call-to-free-aung-san-suu-kyi-questions",
        "published": "2026-08-09T07:06:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Myanmar rejects ASEAN's call to free Aung San Suu Kyi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/myanmar-rejects-aseans-call-to-free-aung-san-suu-kyi",
        "published": "2026-08-09T09:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}