Myanmar's shadow government on Sunday (Apr 18) has urged Southeast Asian leaders to give it a seat at the table during crisis talks next week( 24th April)and not to recognize the military regime that seized power by brutal force in a February coup. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is expected to join a special Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next Saturday,24th April in Jakarta.

The military rule  is illegitimate under international human rights law. The shadow government has all the right to be at the meeting. It even has a greater right than the military as it is elected by the Myanmar people for its people. Otherwise ASEAN will be seen as condoning the genocide in Myanmar. I suggest a petition be set up for people in ASEAN to support the idea of the shadow govt's presence at the meeting.

We the people of ASEAN and concerned members of the global community would like to Petition ASEAN governments to allow the legitimate shadow government to attend the above meeting next Saturday. This petition will be submitted to the ASEAN secretariat based in Jakarta on Wednesday and again on Friday. 
 
 M.Ravi

International Human Rights lawyer

Singapore