The Philippines rejected the Myanmar junta's plea to allow Ming Aung Hling to attend the 49th ASEAN Summit being held in Manila this year.
Myanmar's junta leadership has been banned from the event since the 2021 coup.
This year, Ming Aung Hling embarked on a major diplomatic offensive across ASEAN by visiting: Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in an attempt to legitimize his new civilian-led government. Trips to Brunei and Indonesia are also planned.
This rejection of his presence is a severe blow to the junta's diplomatic campaign and will only further preoccupy China, which is the country behind this sudden effort to seek foreign recognition in the first place.