The Inaction of ASEAN
Last year, Liam Scott of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (Global R2P) joined a podcast episode to discuss the role of ASEAN in the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. While he is critical of what little ASEAN has done, he also places their role in context, and argues that a bilateral response would be more effective at this time.
“We may not see a significant organizational response from ASEAN, as history has shown that they do not typically operate in that way. ”
“Well, just for background, for listeners who might not be familiar, one of the main things that ASEAN has done in response to this crisis is what's called the Five-Point Consensus. However, these stipulations for guiding ASEAN’s response to the crisis have not been effectively implemented, to state the obvious. ASEAN’s overall inaction in response to human rights abuses in any of its member states, including Myanmar, is unfortunately not unique. It's unfortunate that ASEAN has done so little in response. So, that context is important when thinking about how ASEAN operates and what they have done.
One of the main positive things that ASEAN has done is blocking the military from sending representatives to their summits and retreats and instead extending invitations to non-political representatives. This prevents the military from obtaining the international legitimacy it desperately wants. I hope they will continue to do that. However, beyond these actions, we may not see a significant organizational response from ASEAN, as history has shown that they do not typically operate in that way. Therefore, it becomes crucial to push for more bilateral responses in the absence of effective multilateral engagement.
A more concerted and urgent response from ASEAN member states on a bilateral level would go a long way. Since they are Myanmar's neighbors and members of the same multilateral organization, a more effective and robust response, including arms embargoes and sanctions on key industries, would send an important message to the Tatmadaw! Symbolically, even if no ASEAN member has imposed an arms embargo on Myanmar, it holds significance. The same can be said for imposing sanctions on key industries. These actions would carry even more weight considering Myanmar's regional neighbors.”