[Square] Myanmar Situation and ASEAN

[Asia Economy]

The Myanmar crisis triggered by the military coup on February 1 is receiving significant international attention. In particular, the violent crackdown on civilian protesters, resulting in hundreds of deaths, has drawn considerable focus on the response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Given the differing political systems among member countries, ASEAN members’ initial reactions to the Myanmar coup varied. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore expressed serious concerns and called for the release of detained individuals, while some member states maintained that the situation was an internal matter for Myanmar.

Nonetheless, on the day of the coup, ASEAN, led by the chair country Brunei, issued a statement emphasizing that political stability among member states is an essential condition for the peace, stability, and prosperity of the ASEAN community, and urged a return to the pre-coup status.

Furthermore, through Indonesia’s efforts, the informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on March 2 called on all parties to seek peaceful solutions through constructive dialogue and to pursue substantive reconciliation.

The international community’s evaluation of this meeting, held one month after the Myanmar crisis began, is mixed. Some view positively that ASEAN discussed the domestic situation of a member state and adopted a resulting document despite the principle of non-interference enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, while others criticize ASEAN for recognizing the foreign minister appointed by the Myanmar military junta that staged the coup as a dialogue partner.

Compared to ASEAN’s silence on the military coups in Thailand in 2006 and 2014, the outcome of this informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting can be regarded as a meaningful step forward.

However, the key question remains whether ASEAN can take further measures to resolve the Myanmar crisis. First, we need to see what results will be achieved if the ASEAN Summit proposed by Indonesia on March 19 is held.

As the saying from the I Ching goes, “When in distress, one changes; when one changes, one communicates,” the ongoing deterioration of the situation may become a burden for both the military and democratic forces, eventually leading to the constructive dialogue ASEAN has urged.

It is cautiously predicted that, through international appeals and sanctions, the bloodshed will be halted for the time being, and ASEAN may play some role in the process of both sides sitting at the dialogue table.

Of course, ASEAN has never deeply intervened in the domestic affairs of any member state before. However, no one would want the current situation to continue, where ASEAN’s passive response is criticized by the international community, potentially weakening ASEAN’s standing and fracturing internal unity.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN has overcome many crises over the years. Initially receiving little attention, ASEAN has now become a de facto representative regional organization that discusses regional issues with major international actors such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and the European Union (EU). In particular, ASEAN has grown by overcoming numerous conflicts and crises, including the recent financial crisis originating in Thailand and the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.

Despite many twists and turns, ASEAN, which has contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the region for over 50 years, is now facing a major crisis again due to the Myanmar situation.

However, crises can also be opportunities. Since peace is a pillar of the New Southern Policy, it is hoped that ASEAN will successfully overcome this crisis and develop further as a successful regional organization.

Im Seong-nam, Ambassador to ASEAN

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.