What to expect at ASEAN's Myanmar crisis summit

Bloc's divisions prompt predictions of 'modest progress at best'

20210423 yangon vigil

A nighttime protest in Yangon in March: More than 700 people have been reported killed since the Feb. 1 coup.   © Reuters

KENTARO IWAMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

SINGAPORE -- After weeks of laying the groundwork, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold a special summit on Saturday to discuss the crisis in Myanmar. But a lack of unity within the bloc is already casting doubt on the outcome, with one analyst predicting "modest progress at best."

The in-person meeting will be held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. Several top leaders are set to attend, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who "will definitely go" according to a spokesman. Vietnam will send new Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the government said on Wednesday. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend, his office said Thursday.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.