ASEAN
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Divided ASEAN condemns Myanmar violence again, supports five-point plan
RECASTS WITH JOINT COMMUNIQUE ASEAN foreign ministers on Thursday condemned violence in Myanmar again and repeated support for a peace plan ignored by its junta rulers, as the divided bloc struggled to find unity over the protracted crisis. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February 2021, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent. A joint communique finally arrived late Thursday, more than a day after a two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting ended as the fractured group wrangled over its content and wording. It said a five-point plan agreed with Myanmar’s junta two years ago — which they have failed to implement — remained the bloc’s best hope of solving the crisis, despite Thailand launching a separate track to ASEAN efforts in recent months. “We… reaffirmed our united position that the five-point consensus remains our main reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar,” it said. “We strongly condemned acts of violence, including air strikes, artillery shelling, and destruction of public facilities and urged all parties involved to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence (and) denounce any escalation.” It asked all sides of the Myanmar…
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ASEAN chair Indonesia urges political solution to Myanmar crisis
ASEAN chair Indonesia on Wednesday urged a political solution to the Myanmar crisis as the bloc started a second day of talks to form a united position on the coup-wracked country. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government more than two years ago, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis. “Only a political solution will lead to a durable peace,” Retno Marsudi told ASEAN foreign ministers in her opening remarks on the second day of talks in Jakarta. “We are still very much concerned to see the continuing and increasing violence in Myanmar. We strongly urge all stakeholders to denounce violence as this is paramount to build trust.” Indonesia’s top diplomat was reiterating the bloc’s position that a resumption of dialogue between Myanmar’s warring parties and a negotiated political pact would be the only way to bring an end to more than two years of turmoil. But ASEAN efforts to kick-start the five-point plan that calls for an end to violence and restarting peace…
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UN rights expert urges bolder action by Indonesia, ASEAN against Myanmar junta’s violence
The special rapporteur argued the Southeast Asian regional bloc should stop legitimising the regime by refusing to invite its participation in regional conferences or accept its continued representation as a member
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Russia and Myanmar junta to host ASEAN counter-terrorism exercises despite boycott by dialogue partners
Defence ministries for Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States have refused to participate in the activities, while China, India and the ASEAN member states still plan to attend
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Myanmar junta vilifies resistance at ‘non-ASEAN’ meeting
The regime uses the occasion of an informal gathering in Bangkok to call for the denunciation of its opponents as ‘terrorists’
