ASEAN tells Myanmar junta peace, not election, is priority

LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA — 

Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's subject authorities connected Sunday its program to clasp an predetermination amid an escalating civilian warfare should not beryllium its priority, urging the junta to commencement dialog and extremity hostilities immediately.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations called connected the warring sides successful subordinate federation Myanmar to halt the warring and told the junta's typical to let unhindered humanitarian access, said Malaysia's overseas curate arsenic the state takes implicit chairing ASEAN this year.

"Malaysia wants to cognize what Myanmar has successful mind," Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told a property league aft a ministerial retreat connected the land of Langkawi.

"We told them the predetermination is not a priority. The precedence present is to cease fire."

Myanmar has been successful turmoil since aboriginal 2021 erstwhile its subject overthrew the elected civilian authorities of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering pro-democracy protests that morphed into a widening equipped rebellion that has taken implicit swaths of the country.

Despite being battered connected aggregate fronts, its system successful tatters and dozens of governmental parties banned, the junta plans this twelvemonth to clasp an election, which critics person wide derided arsenic a sham to support the generals successful powerfulness done proxies.

Malaysia announced the assignment of erstwhile diplomat Othman Hashim arsenic peculiar envoy connected the situation successful Myanmar, wherever the United Nations says humanitarian needs are astatine "alarming levels," with astir 20 cardinal radical -- much than a 3rd of the colonisation -- needing help.

Mohamad said Othman would sojourn Myanmar "soon."

South China Sea a concern

Othman is tasked with convincing each sides successful Myanmar to instrumentality ASEAN's five-point bid plan, which has made nary advancement since it was unveiled months aft the coup.

ASEAN has barred the ruling generals from attending its meetings implicit their nonaccomplishment to comply. Myanmar is represented by a elder diplomat.

"We privation Myanmar to adhere to the Five-Point Consensus, to halt hostilities and person dialogue, it's precise simple," Mohamad said. "What we privation is unhindered humanitarian assistance that tin scope each successful Myanmar."

Malaysia takes the seat of the 10-member bloc arsenic it contends not lone with the struggle successful Myanmar but with Beijing's assertiveness successful the South China Sea, the tract of heated confrontations betwixt ASEAN subordinate the Philippines and China, a large root of the region's commercialized and investment.

Vietnam and Malaysia person besides protested implicit the behaviour of Chinese vessels successful their exclusive economical zones, which Beijing says are operating lawfully successful its waters.

China claims sovereignty implicit astir of the South China Sea, a conduit for astir $3 trillion of yearly shipborne trade. China and ASEAN person committed to drafting a codification of behaviour for the South China Sea, but talks person moved astatine a snail's pace.

Mohamad said ministers welcomed advancement truthful acold but "highlighted the request to proceed the momentum to expedite the codification of conduct."

The overseas curate of U.S. state the Philippines told Reuters connected Saturday it was clip to commencement negotiating thorny "milestone issues" for the code, including its scope, whether it tin beryllium legally binding and its interaction connected third-party states.