After eight months of being played by Myanmar's murderous junta, the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) has finally put its foot down. The decision to bar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from attending this week's Asean Summit was as welcome as it was surprising.

It must not only be a permanent decision by the regional bloc, but also the start of a new, assertive approach that necessarily leads to direct engagement with the National Unity Government (NUG).