Myanmar's junta on Wednesday declined a request from former Cambodian leader Hun Sen to have discussions with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held since a 2021 coup.
Suu Kyi has remained largely out of sight since the military detained her during a takeover that has caused chaos in the country.
The junta has turned down numerous requests from foreign leaders and diplomats to meet the 78-year-old Nobel laureate, who reportedly faced health issues during more than three years in detention.
On Tuesday, Hun Sen, who led Cambodia for almost four decades before stepping down last year, mentioned that he had asked for a meeting with Suu Kyi during video talks with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
However, the junta's spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated in an audio message released by the military's information team that the junta had "no reason to facilitate it at this moment."
The military pledged to hold overdue fresh elections "without fail," as stated by Zaw Min Tun, without providing specifics.
"We are going to avoid matters which can delay or disturb future processes."
Since her detention, Suu Kyi's only known meeting with a foreign representative occurred in July last year, when the then Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai reported meeting her for over an hour.
Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence handed down by a junta court following a trial criticized by rights groups as a ploy to exclude her from politics.
Last month, the junta stated that she was receiving necessary care as temperatures in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, where she is believed to be detained, reached about 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Zaw Min Tun also addressed reports from Thai media that former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra had recently held discussions with various armed groups from Myanmar operating along their shared border.
Some of these groups have provided refuge and military training to those opposing the junta's takeover and have themselves frequently clashed with the military.
"We assume that encouraging terrorist groups which undermine Myanmar's interests is not appropriate," Zaw Min Tun stated.
The military justified its takeover by alleging massive electoral fraud in the 2020 elections, which were convincingly won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
It has postponed the schedule for holding new elections multiple times.
In March, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said it might not be able to conduct nationwide polls as it struggles to suppress opposition to its governance.
Agence France Presse
