Yangon: Myanmar’s military leadership said Monday it was united and denied a purge of its former premier and his allies had left hardliners in charge, according to state media.

Myanmar could become a “peaceful, modern and developed” nation without further acts of “corruption and bribery”, said a commentary in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper, in a reference to ex-premier Khin Nyunt who was sacked last month and put under house arrest for alleged corruption.

Observers have noted a number of officially-inspired commentaries in state media ahead the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit that started in Laos on Monday.

The commentary said its seven-point democracy “roadmap” — dismissed as a sham by international critics and boycotted by the opposition of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi — and an active foreign policy were accomplishments of a “collective” leadership.

It highlighted its “flexible attitude” over foreign relations in an apparent nod to concerns among the international community that hardliners had strengthened their control of the Myanmar leadership.

It should not be assumed, it said, that some of the state leaders were flexible and some were “hardliners”.

It said it was united with its leaders “having to take responsibilities individually in carrying out tasks based on collective leaderships”.

The military has ruled Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, since 1962 despite a landslide victory in 1990 elections for the National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi.