Myanmar peace plan stalls as Asean sees no major progress

BLOOMBERG

There’s been no significant progress on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) five-point peace proposal for Myanmar that would include ending violence and committing to free elections, according to Indonesia President Joko Widodo.
“Asean unity is needed to formulate the way forward,” Indonesia’s leader said as the two-day summit wraps up in the island of Labuan Bajo. “But the issue of Myanmar must not hinder the accelerated development of the Asean community, because this is what we have been waiting for.”
Myanmar, one of the group’s 10 members, is a lingering problem for Asean as violence remains rampant in a country run by a military junta, with no signs that the peace proposal pushed by its neighbours will be adopted any time soon. The junta continues to use force to crack down on its citizens and political parties critical of its authoritarian rule.
In April, more than 50 people were killed following a Myanmar military strike in the Sagaing region. The US condemned the violence and urged Myanmar to “to respect the genuine and inclusive democratic aspirations of the people of Burma.”
While Asean has taken an increasingly tougher stance on Myanmar by banning its military generals from attending regional meetings and actively promoting the peace plan, critics find these steps insufficient and are calling for stronger measures including sanctions. The regional bloc has a policy of non-interference in its members’ affairs and the group remains divided in resolving Myanmar’s crisis.