ASEAN’s Myanmar nightmare

Myanmar’s army coup in February 2021 has unleashed destructive forces the junta can’t control – a civil war, thousands of civilians killed, more than 1 million internal refugees. ASEAN governments are deeply divided and apparently unable to influence the regime. Charles Santiago, of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, says the army has “gone berserk” against civilians in disputed areas, sanctioned by junta leaders. He argues ASEAN’s best chance now of salvaging Myanmar is persuading China to take the lead as peacemaker.

 

Charles Santiago is chairman and co-founder of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights and a member of the international parliamentary inquiry into global responses to the Myanmar crisis commissioned by APHR. He was a Democratic Action Party MP in the Malaysian parliament for 15 years until late 2022.