Southeast Asian Leaders Meet In Vientiane To Intensify Diplomatic Efforts On Myanmar’s Civil War

New Delhi: Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos’ capital, Vientiane, for the annual meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where the protracted civil war in Myanmar is among the key issues to be discussed. The Jakarta Post, in a report, confirmed that ASEAN leaders held a discussion with a Myanmar junta representative as they try to restart “faltering diplomatic efforts to broker an end to the country’s civil war.” 

ASEAN leaders hope face-to-face talks with a junta representative could lead to a breakthrough. Permanent Secretary in Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry under the junta rule, Aung Kyaw Moe joined an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting Tuesday, where he asked for “understanding as Myanmar tried to bring a peaceful solution.”

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said it was time Myanmar started cooperating with ASEAN to bring peace. 

“Myanmar also has to listen to ASEAN. They have to abide by the ASEAN charter because it’s part of ASEAN,” he told reporters.

On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said, “ASEAN must play a crucial role in restoring peace to Myanmar as soon as possible.” 

“We will focus on working with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship next year, and utilise diplomatic mechanisms to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible,” she added. 

Myanmar’s key ally, China, will join the ASEAN summit on Thursday, where it is expected to voice its desire to see the conflict in Myanmar come to an end but would refuse to support any initiative that is deemed as an interference in the internal affairs of the country. 

The ASEAN summit comes at a time when the Myanmar junta has extended an invite to rebel groups for talks. India is also believed to have invited Myanmar rebel groups for a seminar in mid-November as it fears destabilisation along the borders as a result of prolonged and intensified conflict between the rebel groups and the Myanmar junta.