 The Army General who sits par in Miami in February has been excluded from an annual summit on regional leaders later this month. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, agreed to invite a non-political representative from Miami instead of General Min Ong Halla. It is an unprecedented move for the 10-member bloc, which traditionally avoids interfering in its member's affairs. The leader of the military junta that has ruled Myanmar since its coup will not be invited to a top diplomatic summit for the region, and it represents a rare snub for the leader from the Southeast Asian country. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, agreed to the move at an emergency meeting on Friday. The move is seen as unprecedented. Myanmar's Army Chief Min Ong Lai led the coup against the country's elected civilian government in February, but the ASEAN bloc is consensus-driven and Friday's decision marks a rare bold step for it. ASEAN traditionally favours a policy of engagement and non-interference. The bloc says it will invite a non-political representative from Myanmar instead. Singapore's foreign ministry said on Saturday the move to sideline Myanmar's military chief was a difficult but necessary decision to uphold ASEAN's credibility. The statement went on to cite the lack of progress made on a roadmap to restore peace in Myanmar that the military had agreed to with the bloc in April. ASEAN's current chair, Brunei, said some member states had received requests from Myanmar's national unity government formed by opponents of the army to attend the summit. The bloc has faced increasing international pressure to take a tougher stand against Myanmar. It was criticised in the past for its ineffectiveness in dealing with leaders accused of rights abuses, subverting democracy and intimidating political opponents. More than 1,000 civilians have been killed by Myanmar's security forces and thousands arrested according to the United Nations amid a crackdown on strikes and protests. The military says those estimates of the death toll are exaggerated and blames foreign interference for their exclusion. Updates