JAKARTA: Southeast Asian leaders strongly condemned attacks and violence on civilians in Myanmar at a summit on Tuesday, directly blaming the ruling military, with host Indonesia saying there had been scant progress on an agreed peace plan.
Myanmar has been ravaged by grave violence since the 2021 military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and prompted a violent crackdown on dissent.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), long criticized by critics as a toothless talking shop — met in Jakarta, Indonesia, to seek a united voice on the issue.
The leaders urge the Myanmar Armed Forces, particularly, and all related parties concerned in Myanmar to de-escalate violence and stop targeted attacks on civilians, houses, and public facilities, such as markets, hospitals, and schools, they said in a nineteen-point statement.
ASEAN Condemns Violence in Myanmar
The statement said that ASEAN strongly condemned the continued acts of violence in Myanmar, AFP reported.
Rights groups have alleged the junta of air attacks on rebel strongholds and civilian infrastructure.
Diplomatic attempts to solve the issue have been fruitless, with the military government ignoring the 5-point peace plan agreed with ASEAN countries two years ago, as well as international criticism, and refusing to talk with its opponents. – AFP
