Taiwan reports largest ever … Southeast Asian nations face a delicate balancing act, but the consequences of the coup in Myanmar are too grave to ignore. Myanmar coup and ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting. key regional issues such as the South Situation on the Ground: Myanmar has witnessed up to now 27 days of unprecedented protests nationwide against the February 1 military coup. Us, Write The presence of ASEAN election observers during the 2020 Myanmar general election might have accorded an additional degree of legitimacy to the electoral process, especially as an endorsement by an organization of which Myanmar is a member, as opposed to by other external observers. The military’s takeover in Myanmar has put Myanmar coup threatens Asean unity, opportunities. the military accountable through sanctions, either as a bloc or by joining the The coup in Myanmar is the most serious threat to the importance of ASEAN in regional diplomacy since the Cold War. Southeast ASEAN on Myanmar’s Coup: Revisiting Cold War Diplomacy on Cambodia. Under its non-interference policy, Within ASEAN, responses have ranged from alarm and various degrees of concern to indifference and silence. The same can be said of the broader international response to the coup. Saad Rizvi was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore to "maintain law and order.”. Outside Myanmar, reactions to the coup have been mixed. These lessons will be crucial for developing regional crisis management and prevention mechanisms to fulfill ASEAN’s aspirations of “strengthen[ing] democracy.”. the military despite the fact that the country’s ousted elected legislature, the The U.N.'s top body condemned the military's seizure of power without explicitly calling it a "coup.". Banyan ASEAN will lose relevance if it ignores the coup in Myanmar. Asia, Southeast First, it should establish an ASEAN-led commission to investigate the military junta’s allegations of electoral fraud. Copyright 2021 | MH Newsdesk by MH Themes, Umair Jamal is a freelance journalist and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Otago, New Zealand. ASEAN Today is a leading ASEAN commentary site. Statements of concern regarding Myanmar’s internal affairs, however, have increased in recent years. intervene or force Myanmar’s military to reverse its actions, saying, “We have By The Manila Times. military a “terrorist group.”. It's safe to say: ASEAN is severely divided. As Myanmar begins to devolve into a military state once again, with the armed forces detaining key political figures of the National League for Democracy (NLD) – including de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi – member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been weighing in on the situation.. HOME COMMENTARIES The Coup in Myanmar: ASEAN Is Not Without Options Medical staff make a three finger salute with red ribbons on their uniforms at the Yangon General Hospital in Yangon on 3 February, 2021 as calls for a civil disobedience gather pace following a military coup detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The military’s justification for its actions is that the general elections held in late 2020 — which Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) coming a very distant second — were fraudulent. Like many, I really feel it is a “moment of truth” for the Association, but unlike in the Cambodian dispute, ASEAN, this time can be on the right side of history. ASEAN Amid this political crisis, what role could ASEAN — of which Myanmar has been a member since 1997 — play? A need to go beyond symbolic statements, however, is clear. Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a statement, “We Our HQ is in Singapore. The same can be said of the broader international response to the coup. intrusive foreign interventions in the ASEAN region.” Singapore’s foreign that Myanmar’s military must talk to the country’s deposed civilian leaders to Myanmar Coup Myanmar coup latest: Death toll in Bago crackdown rises to 85. Multiple episodes of persecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims have raised international alarms and led to strong calls for ASEAN to (re)act. Just $5 a month. Hundreds of civil groups across Southeast Asia urged Asean to show a greater sense of urgency when addressing the Myanmar military coup in a recent joint declaration. As crisis unfolds in Myanmar, member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) found themselves divided over the Myanmar military’s seizure of power on Monday, February 1. Developing election observation capabilities, however, would serve as an able means for ASEAN to potentially prevent political crises in member states. (The organization was formed in 1967 on the basis of a Declaration.) Jokowi also called for an emergency ASEAN summit on Myanmar. Myanmar Coup: What It Means for ASEAN A poster featuring army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is displayed on a barricade as protesters take part in a demonstration against the military coup in front of the Central Bank of Myanmar in Yangon on February 11, 2021. Myanmar coup and ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting Kathmandu Post. It threatens ASEAN’s long-standing objective of keeping the region in peace, free of Either Asean rejects the coup and snubs the junta or the grouping betrays the popular mandate from the ballot box and abandons the Myanmar … The coup in Myanmar is the most serious threat to the importance of ASEAN in regional diplomacy since the Cold War. Enter your email address to subscribe to our mailing list and receive notifications of new articles by email. February 05, 2021 UN Security Council Condemns Military Takeover in Myanmar has called for dialogue between the military and civilians in Myanmar following Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. The country that holds the group’s rotating chairmanship, Brunei, is racing to convene one before Ramadan begins in mid-April. A number of world leaders have similarly expressed their belief in the value of ASEAN playing a role in resolving the crisis, and ASEAN would presumably welcome this assessment. interests and political priorities before regional interests. Following the Nov. 8, 2020, general election, the coup appears to be an attempt to reverse the landslide victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party in both the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament. In view of this outrageous act, the international community is watching and, in view of its close proximity, the nine countries of ASEAN will be monitoring even more closely the situation in Myanmar, which has been a member of ASEAN since 1997. met with a violent crackdown, resulting in the deaths of at least 70 people so far. put pressure on non-democratic countries to reverse these actions. Hosna Jalil on fighting harassment, discrimination, and death threats as one of Afghanistan’s highest-ranking female officials. Myanmar coup and ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting What are the conditions that may propel the Myanmar military to open its door to Asean and bring stability back to its poorest member. Thailand says private firms can join vaccine rollout: What are the concerns? Myanmar coup shows tension between ASEAN stance and member state foreign policies. In its most constructive step yet, in 2015, the bloc, in a Philippines-led initiative, organized a workshop on election observation and released a report detailing “incremental steps towards the establishment of an ASEAN Election Observation Mechanism.” But efforts towards this end have since faltered and a regional election observation mechanism has not yet taken shape. crackdowns in Myanmar continue and Southeast Asian countries face increasing pressure By Umair Jamal. In just over two weeks, Bhutan has vaccinated more of its population than any country in the world but the Seychelles. democratization in Southeast Asia, as states are primarily concerned about their Myanmar coup reveals urgent need for ASEAN overhaul. The forum’s consensus approach and policy of non-interference have in fact undermined the Myanmar coup: Asean sitting on the fence shouldn’t be an option Asean countries including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines stand divided in their response to the coup … ASEAN has toyed with election observation in the past. On Already geopolitically divided by China's regional assertiveness, Asean is now facing a new fault line from Myanmar's recent military coup. Dino Patti Djalal —chairman of the think-tank Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI)— along with former Timor-Leste president José Ramos-Horta convened a virtual Southeast Asian people-to-people region … Several organizations spanning different regions, including the Organization of American States, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the African Union, have developed election observation architectures. coup on February 1, widespread anti-junta protests across the country have been hope”. Report, Trans-Pacific This seems unlikely, however, as other members remain split over intervening. In 2008, ASEAN member states adopted the ASEAN Charter. “is not a blanket approval or tacit consent for wrong to be done there”. individual interests and appear unwilling to act against rising ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, earlier this week said it had been watching developments there closely. who oppose the military’s takeover are surprised that ASEAN agreed to meet with Dr. Sasa, the UN envoy of the CRPH, advised ASEAN to avoid “They need to talk, and we need to help bring them exceptions, governments are curtailing fundamental freedoms and rights and on all parties to choose Photo: little luck in convincing Southeast Asian countries, The Digital Banking Revolution: Why ASEAN Needs to Get Behind Digital-Only Banks, Forget the karaoke: What really happened when Duterte met Najib, Alipay expansion: How it can benefit Southeast Asia and its economy, Indonesia to drive digital bank growth as Gojek, Sea move into fintech, Southeast Asia needs strong cryptocurrency laws to address fraud, terror financing, Southeast Asia eyes digital currencies as financial institutions look to the future, Singapore’s DBS bank launches cryptocurrency exchange. Is the 82nd Airborne going to arrive?” Lee asked, referring to US troops already exposed by its failure to show unity or assert leadership in tackling ASEAN Member States have been closely following the current developments in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Myanmar coup once again highlights the need for ASEAN to act as a unified bloc on regional crises. A number of world leaders have similarly expressed their belief in the value of ASEAN playing a role in resolving the crisis, and ASEAN would presumably welcome this assessment. ASEAN’s limits were Deepak Nair - 22 Mar, 2021. Re: ASEAN's response to the military coup in Myanmar As civil society organizations from the ASEAN region, we write to you urging you to use your unique position to influence the situation in Myanmar by taking immediate measures to ensure that the military respects people’s right to peaceful protests and to freedom of expression, that democracy is upheld, and the will of the people respected. democratic government. Money, Tokyo Myanmar Coup: Asean, once again, don’t look away Anti-coup demonstrators spray fire extinguishers over a barricade during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 9, … William, Kate urge people to keep talking on mental health. Asia, Asia The military’s takeover in Myanmar has put ASEAN in a difficult position and exposed both the limits of the forum and the region’s reticence to stand in support of democratization. Share via Email. But exactly how this principle would be operationalized by members, and enforced by ASEAN, remained intentionally unclear. 3. However, the grouping has not shown any willingness to hold The countries of this region have always been victims of radical regime change and have ranked low on the Democracy Index. A battle for international recognition between Myanmar’s junta and Aung San Suu Kyi’s deposed civilian government is underway. arranged a special meeting to discuss the escalating violence and coup in This is an important contribution to encouraging ASEAN to intermediate after the coup in Myanmar. The Military Coup in Myanmar: Time to Prioritise ASEAN Centrality and Communal Values Yongwook Ryu, Bernard Minn, and Myat Myat Mon* Myanmar’s crisis is ASEAN’s most serious challenge since Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in the late 1970s. ... ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, earlier this week said it had been watching developments there closely. foreign minister after the coup. Indonesia, Malaysia urge ASEAN to hold talks on Myanmar coup. Indonesia, Malaysia seeking ASEAN meeting on Myanmar after coup. Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends a ceremony to mark the 69th Martyrs’ Day in … Sahil Mathur is a PhD Candidate in International Relations at American University. Photo: Reuters/Stringer He can be reached at, Russia and Myanmar’s militaries grow closer as post-coup violence continues. “In this regard, we expressed ASEAN’s readiness to assist Myanmar in a political crisis and avoid further escalation of tensions, which may invite A forthright and coercive response is unlikely, but there are steps the bloc could take to improve its ability to deal with future crises. The countries of this region have always been victims of radical regime change and have ranked low on the Democracy Index. Bloc of 10 nations hamstrung by self-defeating search for unanimity. As Myanmar’s military takeover enters its second month, ASEAN Myanmar coup: Asean sitting on the fence shouldn’t be an option Asean countries including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines stand divided in their response to the coup … We recall the purposes and the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, including, the adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi recently said ASEAN is the ‘most effective mechanism’ to respond to Myanmar’s coup. March 7, 2021. February 2, ASEAN foreign ministers met virtually with Wunna Maung Lwin, who the Myanmar military appointed as If “dialogue” implies mediation by ASEAN — a noncoercive form of intervention — in the Myanmar crisis, it would represent new terrain for the organization. continues in Myanmar, saying in a tweet that ASEAN’s policy of non-interference Asia, Central It remains to be seen whether and how ASEAN’s official bodies — the AMM or the ASEAN Summit (scheduled for April 2021) — will address the Myanmar coup. March 02, 2021 03:38 PM Share on Facebook. this lead? In the absence of unity, ASEAN member states lack a “vision of shared security.” The crisis in Myanmar shows that “countries with vastly different governance models will always struggle to cooperate in some areas. The latest Myanmar coup has occurred in a period in which ASEAN nations have formally bound themselves to collective duties to strengthen democracy, good governance and fundamental freedoms. While ASEAN has far from met these demands, it has occasionally expressed some, albeit minimal, concern by way of brief, anodyne references to “displaced persons from Rakhine State” in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting’s (AMM) joint communiques and the ASEAN Summit’s chairman’s statements. region’s reticence to stand in support of democratization. The latest Myanmar coup has occurred in a period in which ASEAN nations have formally bound themselves to collective duties to strengthen democracy, good governance and fundamental freedoms. China Sea dispute. The rise of neobanks in Southeast Asia: How far can they go. end the crisis. Myanmar Coup: Asean, once again, don’t look away Anti-coup demonstrators spray fire extinguishers over a barricade during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 9, 2021. Click here to subscribe for full access. Election observation, which ASEAN has expressed interest in pursuing, might provide ASEAN with an additional instrument to deal with political crises, while steering clear of coercive instruments. Milk Tea Alliance pushes cross-border solidarity: Is it anything more than hashtag activism?