https://arab.news/pzaaa
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is preparing to do what Myanmar’s military regime has wanted for years: reopen the door to regional legitimacy. Southeast Asian foreign ministers have agreed to hold a virtual meeting with Myanmar’s junta-appointed foreign minister, a move being presented as a cautious and tentative form of reengagement after years of diplomatic isolation.
On the surface, this may appear pragmatic. Myanmar is an ASEAN member. Its civil war has become a regional crisis. Its instability affects borders, refugees, organized crime, humanitarian access and the credibility of Southeast Asian diplomacy itself.
But the danger is that ASEAN is once again confusing process with progress.
Since the military coup of February 2021, Myanmar has descended into one of the most severe political and humanitarian crises in Asia. The junta overthrew an elected government, imprisoned civilian leaders, crushed peaceful protests and turned large parts of the country into a battlefield. The conflict has now spread across ethnic states and the Bamar heartland. Millions have been displaced. The economy has been shattered. Airstrikes, village burnings and arbitrary arrests have become routine instruments of military rule.
