23 April 2021
- RSIS
- Media Highlights
- Experts: No Big Change When ASEAN Meets Military Leaders
Experts do not expect a big change when ASEAN meets with Myanmar military leaders, but see this as a necessary first step for dialogue. The special summit between ASEAN leaders is scheduled to take place in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, chaired by King Brunei Hasssanal Bolkiah on April 24. Several members of the member states, including those in the Myanmar military government , confirmed the focus of the meeting was on the country’s situation. Dr. Alistair Cook, Senior Fellow at RSIS and an expert on Myanmar affairs, notes that ASEAN is “bound by mechanism and decision-making based on consensus ”and the international community should not expect the regional organization to act as an “enforcement mechanism” in the crisis. “The parties need to coordinate their responses to support the Myanmar people more effectively. ASEAN has the potential to become a platform for this coordination, ”said Dr Cook.
NTS Centre / Online
Last updated on 04/05/2021