In the aftermath of the Myanmar military’s violent crackdown on the 2007 Saffron Revolution mass protests, Singapore briefly found itself in the international spotlight alongside its ignominious ASEAN neighbour. In his remarks, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Balakrishnan sought to press home that lasting stability in Myanmar was critical to the interests of all ASEAN states. The republic’s position was not unique within ASEAN, suggested Dr Joseph Liow, Research Adviser at RSIS. He described the chair statement released by Brunei as “strong”, adding that the bloc had been “proactive and forward-leaning in trying to reach out to Myanmar”.