ASEAN's Efforts to End the Myanmar Conflict
ASEAN's individual members will decide whether to send observers to monitor the upcoming election in Myanmar, which critics have dubbed a "sham election".
Myanmar was lower on the agenda at the summit compared with other pressing regional economic and strategic issues, such as trade, security cooperation and managing US-China competition.
According to Vu Lam, a policy analyst and ASEAN observer, the political will and capital to address the Myanmar issue were inadequate due to its lower priority at the summit.
- ASEAN called for all parties to de-escalate violence and stop targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
- The bloc also urged for trust-building efforts and the full implementation of an expanded ceasefire, as reaffirmed in an earlier statement in May.
Author's summary: ASEAN's efforts to end the Myanmar conflict are being questioned.