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Myanmar minister in Thailand for crisis talks after Feb 1 coup

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He meets foreign ministers of Thailand and Indonesia as protests continue in Myanmar over Feb 1 coup

BANGKOK Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister flew into Thailand yesterday for talks with his counterparts from two neighbouring countries to resolve the crisis over the Feb 1 coup, amid scepticism from Myanmar's pro-democracy camp.

The minister, Mr Wunna Maung Lwin, made the first foreign trip by a member of the new military government as opponents of the coup again took to the streets in Myanmar.

The army seized power after alleging fraud in a Nov 8 election swept by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), detaining her and much of the party leadership.

The Election Commission had dismissed the fraud complaints.

Indonesia has taken the lead within Asean in an effort to steer a path out of the crisis and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi arrived in Bangkok yesterday and met Mr Wunna Maung Lwin and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

A Thai source said the Myanmar minister also had a meeting scheduled with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The Indonesian effort has raised suspicion among Myanmar activists who fear dealing with the junta would confer legitimacy on it and its bid to scrap the November election.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Thai embassy in the main city of Yangon with signs reading: "Respect our vote" and "We voted NLD".

"Our foreign minister is Aung San Suu Kyi," the protesters chanted, referring to the post she held in the government she led after winning a 2015 election in a landslide.

In Bangkok, Mr Prayut, a former army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup, declined to confirm to reporters he had met the Myanmar minister.

"Some things are not official," he said.

"We offer support as an Asean country that has to cooperate and offer well-wishes that everything works out smoothly."

Protesters in Mandalay in Myanmar marched yesterday in support of the ousted parliamentarians.

Security forces have shown more restraint compared with earlier crackdowns during almost half a century of direct military rule.

Even so, three protesters have been shot and killed. The army has said one policeman had been killed.

- REUTERS

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