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Jokowi calls for ASEAN unity as Myanmar crisis worsens
Turmoil in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Labuan Bajo, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its perceived inaction.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (center) attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo on May 10, 2023.
(AFP/Achmad Ibrahim)
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo called Wednesday for "unity" among Southeast Asian nations, as they come under growing pressure to end the violence ravaging Myanmar or risk irrelevance.
Turmoil in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Labuan Bajo, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its perceived inaction.
ASEAN has led diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis, but its efforts so far have failed to stem the bloodshed unleashed by a military coup in 2021.
The junta has shunned international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, which include ousted lawmakers, anti-coup "People's Defence Forces" and armed ethnic minority groups.
An air strike on a village in a rebel stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation and worsened the junta's isolation.
Pressure on the regional bloc increased Sunday after a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats and officials coordinating ASEAN humanitarian relief in Myanmar came under fire.
Addressing his ASEAN counterparts Wednesday, Jokowi said he was "confident" the 10-member bloc could deal with growing global challenges if its members were united.
