Myanmar upset its military leader barred from regional meet

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military-installed government has challenged a pronouncement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ barring its leader from attending next week’s annual summit of the regional bloc. It said the declaration issued by ASEAN chair Brunei violated the charter of the group, to which it belongs. A statement issued Friday by Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry detailed why it believed ASEAN had violated its own rules by taking such action. The 10-member ASEAN bloc acted after Myanmar refused to allow its special envoy to meet with ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She has been detained since Myanmar’s military seized power from her elected government in February.