ASEAN must play a more proactive role in Myanmar

Recognizing the NUG could pressure ruling generals to return to negotiating table

Imran Shamsunahar and Munira Mustaffa

January 30, 2025 05:05 JST

A traffic policeman stands near flags displayed for the 24th ASEAN Summit at Naypyidaw, Myanmar on May 10, 2014. © Reuters

Imran Shamsunahar is a freelance writer focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, currently based in Kuala Lumpur. Munira Mustaffa is a security practitioner specialising in Southeast Asian security challenges, currently based in Kuala Lumpur.

As Myanmar's civil war enters its fourth year, the conflict has dramatically transformed the nation's political landscape. The military rulers are now overwhelmed on several fronts, having lost ground in the north and west.