Asean ministers to discuss Myanmar crisis at Thailand meeting

JAKARTA – Members of the South-east Asian regional bloc Asean are planning to hold a ministerial meeting in Thailand to discuss the crisis in Myanmar, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat told reporters on Dec 5.

At the invitation of current Asean host Laos, the meeting will talk about ways to approach the crisis that has gripped Myanmar

since a 2021 military coup

, including on the implementation of Asean’s five-point consensus plan, he said.

The consensus has made scant progress since its unveiling in April 2021, just months after Myanmar’s military unseated the elected government.

The junta has been battling a rebellion that erupted after the coup and has largely ignored calls by its South-east Asian neighbours to cease hostilities and enter into dialogue with its opponents.

During an Asean summit in October, the bloc called for “an immediate cessation” of violence and the creation of a “conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogue” that is “Myanmar-owned and -led”.

The meeting is expected to start on Dec 20, Mr Roy said, and Indonesia’s foreign minister is expected to attend. REUTERS