Asean diplomats meet to review stalled Myanmar peace plan
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A seat for Myanmar's delegate is seen empty during the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta on Sept 4.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JAKARTA - Top South-east Asian diplomats will on Monday review their regional bloc's stalled peace plan for Myanmar, with frustration growing over its ruling military's failure to end violence more than two years after it seized power in a coup.
Foreign ministers of Asean are meeting in Jakarta, capital of chair Indonesia, this week to discuss Myanmar, a code of conduct for the South China Sea, the region's economy, transnational crime and other issues.
Myanmar is a member of Asean though its military rulers have been excluded from top bloc meetings since they ousted an elected government led by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi
Asean has agreed on a peace plan – known as the five-point consensus (5PC)
"As mandated by the leaders, we would conduct a comprehensive review on the 5PC implementation and prepare a recommendation for our leaders' deliberation," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in opening remarks.
"Asean can only steam forward in full power if we can ensure a peaceful and lasting solution in Myanmar."
The crisis in Myanmar has raised questions about the effectiveness and unity of a group founded at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s.
Asean has for decades operated under the principle of not interfering in each other's internal affairs and reaching agreement by consensus, but that has left it struggling to help resolve problems like Myanmar, unable to press the generals beyond barring them from its high-level meetings.
Indonesia, which has urged unity amid growing scepticism of the bloc's credibility, has been conducting behind-the-scenes attempts to find a solution to Myanmar's turmoil but has little to show for its effort.
Asean leaders are due to gather in Jakarta later in the week along with their counterparts from partner countries such as the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and others.
US President Joe Biden will not be attending, Vice-President Kamala Harris will be taking his place.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is due to attend. REUTERS
