The ASEAN summit is back. More than four years after the coup, ASEAN leaders have failed to agree on a collective response to the military council’s brutal killings of civilians, other than expressing deep concern about the deteriorating situation and violent conflict in Myanmar. The military council has publicly declared a ceasefire under the pretext of humanitarian aid after the earthquake, but in reality it has stepped up airstrikes across the country, killing hundreds of civilians.
This week, ASEAN leaders met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to discuss the crisis in Myanmar, but without any tangible progress.
The Malaysian government, which has been a vocal critic of the military council, met with military leader Min Aung Hlaing and the NUG when it assumed the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. But Malaysia is only talking about the military council and the NUG meeting. It is saying the impossible and trying to get a good name for itself as if it is solving the Myanmar issue. Even when Malaysia and Indonesia, which are often critical of the military council, are chairing ASEAN, ASEAN will continue as it is if there is no progress on the Myanmar issue.
