Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/asean-meet-discuss-possible-exclusion-myanmar-leader-summit-sources-2021-10-14/
Myanmar’s current army leader’s lack of cooperation and alignment with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has caused the member states to contemplate leaving him out of the upcoming summit. After establishing a five-point agreement with Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, in April to end the violence and remediate their current political situation, the junta has failed to implement this solution. After the humanitarian issues and hostilities in Myanmar continued, almost all members of ASEAN alluded to not wanting to include Myanmar in the upcoming meetings. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines have all expressed their interest in excluding Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing from the Oct. 26-28 summit. Also, the junta has banned Brunei’s, the current chair of ASEAN, foreign affairs minister, Erywan Yusof, from meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, who’s facing charges from the overthrowing of her government in the February coup.
Although member states of ASEAN are pushing for a unanimous consensus between themselves, the issues in Myanmar are of too much concern for the member states to continue to include Myanmar without the fixing of their issues. The ASEAN must take a hardline approach with this as it would challenge their credibility as a powerful organization if they continue to let this happen under their authority. As other world powers will most likely not become involved because it is more of a conflict within the region than something that is of interest to the rest of the world. Myanmar has had a long history of conflict between forms of government that might have to be dealt with and solved internally. That being said, a push from the ASEAN will help get them on the right path and speed up the process of democratic transition.
The IGO ASEAN involved with this issue because it comprises ten states in southeast asia. They work together in economics and general stability in the region. In this region, often issues are looked at in a constructivist perspective and these countries typically have similar ideals, religions, and cultures. However, the ASEAN member states are beginning to see the effects of the reciprocity theory as Myanmar continues to do things for their own benefit and interest rather than what the association had agreed on. This association as well as other global actors must step in to help remedy this complex issue in Myanmar.