Southeast Asia’s timid diplomacy and a see-no-evil approach to human trafficking are to blame for its boat people influx, and overcoming the crisis will pose a severe test for a region loathe to address divisive issues, according to diplomats and analysts.

In particular, the region has allowed the problem to fester by failing to curb Myanmar’s abuse of the migrant Rohingya people, which has sent masses of the Muslim ethnic minority fleeing abroad, they said.

One of the most cherished core principles of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations – to which Myanmar belongs – is its pledge of noninterference in other members’ internal affairs.

… To stem the migrant “push” factor, ASEAN will likely pursue a “quiet diplomacy” that lets Myanmar save face, said Alan Chong of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.