Indonesia’s top security minister warned of the growing challenges to the region’s stability on Monday, ahead of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, minister for political, legal, and security affairs, said the lack of progress in resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, an ASEAN member, had cast the entire region in a bad light.

“Internally, insignificant progress in Myanmar left a negative mark on ASEAN,” he said, referring to the military coup in February 2021 that ousted the elected government and sparked mass protests and violence.

He made the remarks at the meeting of ASEAN security officials in Jakarta ahead of a three-day summit of the bloc’s leaders that starts on Tuesday in Jakarta.

Since the coup in 2021, Myanmar has been sinking into chaos and violence.

The ruling junta suppresses any resistance with brutal force, while the ousted former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was handed a long prison term.

Mediation attempts by ASEAN have so far been unsuccessful.

Mr Mahmodin also said the geopolitical tensions and rivalries were increasing internationally and threatening the countries of Southeast Asia.

“This could lead to open conflict that our region would be forced to face,” he said, citing the humanitarian and socio-economic impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Among those expected for the talks in Jakarta are U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The agenda includes topics such as economic connectivity, maritime cooperation, environmental sustainability, human rights, and cybersecurity, but above all, the crisis in Myanmar.

Indonesia holds the chairmanship of ASEAN this year.

Other members are Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos and Brunei.

After the ASEAN summit, the leaders of the Group of 20 major economies (G20) would meet in the Indian capital, New Delhi, over the weekend.

 (dpa/NAN)