ASIA - ASEAN calls for "concrete actions" to stop the civil war in Myanmar

Vientiane (Agenzia Fides) - "Concrete measures" to end the civil war in Myanmar and to resume diplomatic efforts to resolve it are what the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is calling on the Myanmar military junta and its opponents, while the conflict in the country continues. The problem of instability in the former Burma and the need for political change were the focus of the first day of the annual ASEAN Summit in Vientiane (Laos). The heads of state and government of the member countries also held face-to-face talks with a high-ranking representative of the ruling military government in Myanmar for the first time in three years, while ASEAN had previously excluded politicians from the Burmese military junta from its summits.
The ASEAN leaders condemned the attacks on the civilian population and called on the parties involved to "take concrete measures to immediately end the arbitrary violence". However, the summit did not discuss how to implement the "five-point plan" proposed by ASEAN to overcome the crisis after the military coup three years ago, and never considered by the Burmese junta. Instead, it said that "other ways are being sought to move forward" and formulate new strategies, as the five-point plan "has not been very effective in really changing the situation."
New efforts have included talks and meetings to mediate between the warring parties, such as those organized and hosted by the Indonesian government in Jakarta, which brought together representatives from Indonesia, ASEAN, the European Union and the United States, as well as members of the Burmese "government of national unity" in exile. Meanwhile, "informal consultations" on Myanmar are scheduled to take place in Thailand in December, which will be attended by ASEAN members and probably also by neighboring countries, such as China and India.
At the 45th Summit, underway in Laos (6-11 October), the ASEAN countries (association of ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) will discuss regional and international issues of common interest, such as ongoing conflicts, economic and financial difficulties, climate change, natural disasters and transnational crime. A total of 56 documents are expected to be adopted, covering the three pillars of ASEAN, which sees itself as a political and security, economic and socio-cultural community of states. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 10/10/2024)

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