Asean maintains hardline Myanmar stance to force junta into peace plan, despite Cambodia’s soft tactics

In the Asean bloc’s internal debate on whether engagement or a hardline stance with Myanmar’s junta will force coup-maker Min Aung Hlaing to abide by a peace plan for the strife-torn country, the cabal of countries favouring the latter strategy appears to have the upper hand – for now.

This week’s announcement by Cambodia – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ current chair – that the junta would remain banned from attending the bloc’s talks is a clear indication that the likes of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore remain steadfast in their positions on the matter, observers say.

“Asean’s rejection of the junta is crucial,” said Matthew Smith, the chief executive officer of the Southeast Asian campaign group Fortify Rights. “There’s a lot riding on how Asean responds to the atrocities in Myanmar and the costs of complicity at this point could be high for the bloc,” he said.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – influential founding members in the 10-nation Asean – have been the most vocal in recent months about using a harder approach to compel junta chief Min Aung Hlaing to abide by a five-point peace plan agreed last April.

That elicited a sharp response from the countries advocating for a tough stance with Min Aung Hlaing, with Malaysia’s foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah pointedly noting that sitting Asean chairs typically “consult others anytime they want to do something that is considered significant”.