Southeast Asian leaders 'deeply concerned' about deadly Myanmar violence

Southeast Asian leaders have expressed "deep concerns" about the violence in Myanmar, condemning a recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid to the country.

Unrest in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its inaction.

ASEAN has led diplomatic efforts to resolve the escalating crisis, but its efforts have so far failed to stop the bloodshed and clashes that followed a military coup in 2021.

"We were deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues," ASEAN leaders said in a statement.

The junta has ignored international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, who include ousted lawmakers, the anti-coup "People's Defense Forces" and armed groups.

ASEAN ‘strongly condemns’ Myanmar’s deadly air attack

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "strongly condemns" the latest air strike carried out by Myanmar

Pressure on the regional bloc increased on Sunday after a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats and ASEAN humanitarian aid coordinators in Myanmar came under attack.

"We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable," ASEAN leaders said in their statement.

An air strike on a village in a militant stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation.

Foreign ministers and country leaders meeting on the Indonesian island of Flores are trying to launch a five-point plan agreed with Myanmar two years ago after mediation efforts to end the violence failed. .

Myanmar is also a member of ASEAN, but due to the non-implementation of the peace plan by the military government, it has been banned from participating in high-level summits.

Jakarta's presidency of the bloc this year raised hopes that ASEAN could use its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience to push for a peaceful solution.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Friday that his country was using "quiet diplomacy" to talk to all parties involved in Myanmar and encourage renewed peace efforts.

ASEAN's principles of consensus and non-intervention have weakened its ability to stop the violence in Myanmar, which critics say is an existential threat to the bloc.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, with attacks by resistance fighters challenging the rule of the military, which has responded with air strikes and heavy weapons, including in civilian areas.

The United Nations estimates that some 14,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,000 killed since the military takeover, which plunged the South Asian country into an economic as well as security crisis.

Late last year, the UN Security Council voted in favor of the first-ever resolution on Myanmar in more than seven decades, calling on the military rulers to end violence and release all political prisoners. The 15-member Council urged the junta to "immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners," including ousted leader Suu Kyi.

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