Editing ASEAN (section)

==History==
===Background===
{{Main|History of Southeast Asia}}
Besides their close geographic proximity, political scholars consider [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian]] nations a cultural crossroads between [[East Asia]] and [[South Asia]], located at critical junctions of the [[South China Sea]] as well as the [[Indian Ocean]], and as a result received much influence from [[Arabic|Islamic]] and [[Persians|Persian]] influences prior to the [[Europe|European]] colonial ages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reid |first=Anthony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TRPCAAAQBAJ&dq=history+of+southeast+asia&pg=PA13 |title=A History of Southeast Asia: Critical Crossroads |date=2015-03-03 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-51293-7 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski |title=Persian Religious and Cultural Influences in Siam/Thailand and Maritime Southeast Asia in Historical Perspective: A Plea for a Concerted Interdisciplinary Approach |url=https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/03/JSS_088_0q_Marcinkowski_PersianReligiousCulturalInfluences.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718124016/https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/03/JSS_088_0q_Marcinkowski_PersianReligiousCulturalInfluences.pdf |archive-date=18 July 2020 |access-date=28 July 2022 |website=Thesiamsociety.org}}</ref>

Since around 100 BCE, the Southeast Asian archipelago occupied a central position at the crossroads of the [[Indian Ocean]] and the [[South China Sea]] trading routes, which stimulated the economy and the influx of ideas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reid |first=Anthony |date=February 1990 |title=An 'Age of Commerce' in Southeast Asian History |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/abs/an-age-of-commerce-in-southeast-asian-history/E09ED31B7CDB61464CA851C688C83A28 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=1–30 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X00001153 |issn=1469-8099 |s2cid=128602618|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This included the introduction of [[Abugida|abugida scripts]] to Southeast Asia as well as the [[Chữ Nôm|Chinese script]] to [[Literary Chinese in Vietnam|Vietnam]]. Besides various indigenous scripts, various abugida [[Brahmic scripts]] were widespread in both continental and insular Southeast Asia. Historically, scripts such as [[Pallava script|Pallava]], [[Kawi script|Kawi]] (from ancient [[Tamil language|Tamil]] script) and [[Rencong script|Rencong]] or ''Surat Ulu'' were used to write [[Old Malay]], until they were replaced by [[Jawi script|Jawi]] during [[Islam|Islamic]] [[missionary]] missions in the [[Malay Archipelago]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fadeli |first=Muhammad Al-Amin Mohd |title=Malay History & Culture |date=2019 |display-authors=etal |via=Academia}}</ref>

[[European colonial|European colonialism]] influenced most ASEAN countries, including [[French Indochina]] (present-day [[Vietnam]], [[Laos]] & [[Cambodia]]), [[British rule in Burma|British Burma]], [[British Malaya|Malaya]] and [[British Borneo|Borneo]] (present-day [[Myanmar]], [[Malaysia]] & [[Singapore]], and [[Brunei]]), [[Dutch East Indies]] (present day [[Indonesia]]), [[Spanish East Indies]] (present-day [[Philippines]] and various other colonies), and [[Portuguese Timor]] (present-day [[Timor-Leste]]), with only [[Thailand]] (then [[Siam]]) not formed from a prior European colony.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Acharya |first=Amitav |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1355/9789814311250/html |title=The Making of Southeast Asia |date=2012-11-22 |publisher=ISEAS Publishing |isbn=978-981-4311-25-0 |doi=10.1355/9789814311250}}</ref> Siam served as the buffer state, sandwiched between British Burma and French Indochina, but its kings had to contend with [[Bowring Treaty|unequal treaties]] as well as British and French political interference and territorial losses after the [[Franco-Siamese conflict of 1893]] and the [[Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1909 |title=Treaty between Great Britain and Siam |journal=The American Journal of International Law |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=297–304 |doi=10.2307/2212641 |issn=0002-9300 |jstor=2212641 |s2cid=246007886}}</ref> Under European colonization, Southeast Asian nations were introduced to European religions and technologies, as well as the [[Latin alphabet]].

The [[Empire of Japan|Japanese Empire]], in the vein of the [[Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere]] concept, sought to unite and create a pan-Asian identity against [[Western imperialism in Asia|Western colonial occupation]], but Japan's alliance with the [[Axis powers]] in [[World War II]] soured relations between many colonies of Europe and the United States.{{Citation needed|reason=States overarching claim without reasonable sources|date=December 2022}} Defeat of Imperial Japan eventuated in [[Decolonization of Asia|decolonization movements]] throughout Southeast Asia, resulting in the independent ASEAN states seen today.

===Founding===
{{main|ASEAN Declaration|ASEAN Charter}}
[[File:ST 20170326 STKISHOREBOOKOA4Q 3027316-2-640x480.jpg|left|thumb|Signing of the [[ASEAN Declaration]] by five Foreign Ministers in Bangkok on 8 August 1967 ]]
The predecessor of ASEAN was the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), formed on 31 July 1961 and consisting of [[Thailand]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tarling |first1=Nicholas |title=The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia: Volume 2, Part 2, From World War II to the Present |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-66372-4 |page=287 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U0trzUvic-8C&pg=PA287 |access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ooi |first1=Keat Gin |title=Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor |year=2004 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-770-2 |page=186 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA186 |access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> ASEAN itself was created on 8 August 1967, when the [[foreign minister]]s of five countries—[[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], the [[Philippines]], [[Singapore]], and [[Thailand]]—signed the [[ASEAN Declaration]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Liow |first1=Joseph |last2=Leifer |first2=Michael |title=Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia |date=20 November 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-62233-8 |pages=82–85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G5KLBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 |access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> According to the Declaration, ASEAN aims to accelerate economic, social, and cultural development in the region, as well as promoting regional peace, to collaborate on matters of shared interest, and to promote [[Southeast Asian studies]] and maintain close cooperation with existing international organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asean.org/news/item/the-asean-declaration-bangkok-declaration|title=The Asean Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) Bangkok, 8 August 1967|publisher=ASEAN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211121705/http://www.asean.org/news/item/the-asean-declaration-bangkok-declaration|archive-date=11 February 2015|access-date=17 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asean.org/asean/about-asean/overview|title=Overview|website=asean.org|publisher=ASEAN|access-date=7 February 2015|archive-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217005044/http://www.asean.org/asean/about-asean/overview|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:ASEAN's Big Five.jpg|left|thumb|ASEAN's Big Five — (L to R) Philippine Foreign Secretary [[Narciso Ramos]], Indonesian Foreign Minister [[Adam Malik]], Thai Foreign Minister [[Thanat Khoman]], Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister [[Abdul Razak Hussein|Tun Abdul Razak]], and Singaporean Foreign Minister [[S. Rajaratnam]].]]
The creation of ASEAN was initially motivated by [[anti-communism|the desire to contain communism]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is ASEAN? |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-asean |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Council on Foreign Relations}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Overview of ASEAN |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=jfadt/asean/aseanch1.pdf}}</ref> which had taken a foothold in mainland Asia after [[World War II]], with the formation of communist governments in [[North Korea]], [[China]], and [[North Vietnam|Vietnam]], accompanied by the so-called communist "emergency" in [[British Malaya]], and unrest in the recently decolonized [[Philippines]].

These events also encouraged the earlier formation of the [[South East Asia Treaty Organization]] (SEATO), led by the [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]], and [[Australia]], with several Southeast Asian partners in 1954 as an extension of "containment" policy, seeking to create an Eastern version of [[NATO]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Asia-Pacific Profile |author1=Bernard Eccleston |author2=Michael Dawson |author3=Deborah J. McNamara |year=1998 |publisher=Routledge (UK) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l07ak-yd6DAC&q=%22Bangkok+Declaration%22+ASEAN&pg=RA1-PA311 |isbn=978-0-415-17279-0 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053135/https://books.google.com/books?id=l07ak-yd6DAC&pg=RA1-PA311&lpg=RA1-PA311&dq=%22Bangkok+Declaration%22+ASEAN |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the local member states of ASEAN group achieved greater cohesion in the mid-1970s following a change in the balance of power after the [[Fall of Saigon]] and the end of the [[Vietnam War]] in April 1975 and the decline of SEATO.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beeson |first=Mark |title=Institutions of the Asia–Pacific: ASEAN, APEC, and beyond |date=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-46504-5 |series=Global institutions series |location=London |pages=65|quote=Despite the previously discussed potential limitations of the ASEAN way and its preference for voluntarism and consensus, it was felt that this form of multilateralism had more chance of success than some of its institutional predecessors like SEATO, which was unable to demonstrate "either a viable political purpose or a military function."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The ASEAN: Thirty years and beyond |date=1997 |isbn=978-971-15-0360-4 |editor-last=Aranal-Sereno |editor-first=Maria Lourdes |location=Quezon City |pages=271, 460 |quote=Regional cooperation flourished when the smaller countries took the leadership in developing such organizations as ASEAN ... As the US forces moved on to strategic weakness and disengagement, heightened insecurity caught up with Southeast Asian countries and, ironically, gave ASEAN a sense of being. |editor-last2=Santiago |editor-first2=Joseph Sedfrey}}</ref>

ASEAN's first summit meeting, held in [[Bali]], [[Indonesia]], in 1976, resulted in an agreement on several industrial projects and the signing of a [[Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia|Treaty of Amity and Cooperation]], and a Declaration of Concord. The end of the [[Cold War]] allowed ASEAN countries to exercise greater political independence in the region, and in the 1990s, ASEAN emerged as a leading voice on [[regional trade]] and security issues.<ref>Moon, C. (2014). ASEAN. Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>

On 15 December 1995, the [[Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty]] was signed to turn Southeast Asia into a [[nuclear-weapon-free zone]]. The treaty took effect on 28 March 1997 after all but one of the member states had ratified it. It became fully effective on 21 June 2001 after the Philippines ratified it, effectively banning all nuclear weapons in the region.<ref name="NWFZ">[http://disarmament.un.org/TreatyStatus.nsf/Bangkok%20Treaty%20(in%20alphabetical%20order)?OpenView Bangkok Treaty (in alphabetical order) At UNODA] United Nations. Retrieved 4 September 2008. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728143121/http://disarmament.un.org/TreatyStatus.nsf/Bangkok%20Treaty%20%28in%20alphabetical%20order%29?OpenView|date=28 July 2011}}</ref>

===Expansion===
[[File:ASEAN explained in 5 minutes.webm|thumb|Video: ASEAN explained in 5 minutes]]
On 7 January 1984, [[Brunei]] became ASEAN's sixth member<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2700.htm|title=Background Note:Brunei Darussalam/Profile:/Foreign Relations|publisher=US State Department|access-date=6 March 2007|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604183451/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2700.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and on 28 July 1995, following the end of the [[Cold War]], [[Vietnam]] joined as the seventh member.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asean.org/10098.htm|title=Vietnam in ASEAN: Toward Cooperation for Mutual Benefits|year=2007|work=ASEAN Secretariat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511153326/http://www.asean.org/10098.htm|archive-date=11 May 2011|access-date=28 August 2009}}</ref> [[Laos]] and [[Myanmar]] (formerly Burma) joined two years later on 23 July 1997.<ref name="enlargement">{{cite book|title=ASEAN Enlargement: impacts and implications|author1=Carolyn L. Gates|author2=Mya Than|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|year=2001|isbn=978-981-230-081-2}}</ref> [[Cambodia]] was to join at the same time as [[Laos]] and [[Myanmar]], but a [[1997 Cambodian coup d'état|Cambodian coup in 1997]] and other internal instability delayed its entry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diplomatic pragmatism: ASEAN's response to the July 1997 coup {{!}} Conciliation Resources|url=https://www.c-r.org/accord/cambodia/diplomatic-pragmatism-aseans-response-july-1997-coup|access-date=2021-02-27|website=c-r.org}}</ref> It then joined on 30 April 1999 following the stabilization of its government.<ref name="enlargement" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asean.org/3338.htm|title=Statement by the Secretary-General of ASEAN Welcoming the Kingdom of Cambodia as the Tenth Member State of ASEAN: 30 April 1999, ASEAN Secretariat|year=2008|work=ASEAN Secretariat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511153639/http://www.asean.org/3338.htm|archive-date=11 May 2011|access-date=28 August 2009}}</ref>

In 2006, ASEAN was given [[United Nations General Assembly observers|observer status at the United Nations General Assembly]].<ref>[http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=28822 RP resolution for observer status in UN assembly OK'd], Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 March 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826051047/http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=28822 |date=26 August 2010 }}</ref> In response, the organization awarded the status of "dialogue partner" to the UN.<ref>{{cite news |title=Philippines to Represent ASEAN in UN Meetings in NY, Geneva |url=http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070307/4/2ykdn.html |work=Yahoo! News |date=7 March 2007 |access-date=13 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312113724/http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070307/4/2ykdn.html |archive-date=12 March 2007 }}</ref> The UK and ASEAN are also perusing a dialogue partnership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=You are being redirected... |url=https://asean.org/asean-uk-joint-ministerial-statement-enhancing-connectivity-for-a-prosperous-and-sustainable-future/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=asean.org}}</ref>

===The ASEAN Charter===
On 15 December 2008, the member states met in [[Jakarta]] to launch the charter signed in November 2007, to move closer to "an [[European Union|EU]]-style community".<ref name="AFPCharter">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/momentous-day-for-asean-as-charter-comes-into-force-20081215-6yx4.html|title='Momentous' day for ASEAN as charter comes into force|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=15 December 2008|access-date=16 December 2008}}</ref> The charter formally established ASEAN as a legal entity, aiming to create a single trade bloc for a region encompassing 500 million people. Indonesian president [[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]] stated: "This is a momentous development when ASEAN is consolidating, integrating, and transforming itself into a community. It is achieved while ASEAN seeks a more vigorous role in Asian and global affairs at a time when the international system is experiencing a seismic shift". Referring to climate change and economic upheaval, he concluded: "Southeast Asia is no longer the bitterly divided, war-torn region it was in the 1960s and 1970s".

The [[2008 financial crisis]] was seen as a threat to the charter's goals,<ref name="ReutersCharter">{{cite news |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37031520081215|title=ASEAN launches charter under shadow of crisis|author1=Olivia Rondon |author2=Suhartono, Harry|work=Reuters |date=15 December 2008|access-date=16 December 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081220192555/http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37031520081215| archive-date= 20 December 2008 | url-status=dead}}</ref> and also set forth the idea of a proposed human rights body to be discussed at a future summit in February 2009. This proposition caused controversy, although the body would not have the power to impose sanctions or punish countries which violated citizens' rights and would, therefore, be limited in effectiveness.<ref name="IHTCharter">{{cite news|title=ASEAN charter comes into force |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/15/asia/AS-ASEAN-Charter.php |access-date=12 May 2015 |work=International Herald Tribune |via=Associated Press |date=15 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210032138/http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/15/asia/AS-ASEAN-Charter.php |archive-date=10 February 2009 }}</ref> The body was established later in 2009 as the [[ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights]] (AICHR).

In November 2012, the commission adopted the [[ASEAN Human Rights Declaration]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wong|first1=Chun Han|title=Asean Human-Rights Pledge Leaves Critics Cool|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323353204578126803863141948|access-date=8 February 2015|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] Asia|date=18 November 2012|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053136/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323353204578126803863141948|url-status=live}}</ref> However, their human rights declaration has been critiqued widely by the international community, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating that the declaration was worded in problematic ways that do not easily align with international norms. Likewise, the [[Human Rights Watch]] in the [[United States of America]] noted several important fundamental rights were omitted or not clearly established.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ASEAN Political-Security Community and Its Dilemmas {{!}} The SAGE Handbook of Asian Foreign Policy – Credo Reference |url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageukasian/the_asean_political_security_community_and_its_dilemmas/0 |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=search.credoreference.com}}</ref>

The chairmanship of ASEAN rotates among the member states. [[Malaysia]] holds the position for 2025. Recent ASEAN chairs are as follows:<ref>{{Cite web |title=ASEAN Chairmanship Role |url=https://asean.org/category/chairmanship/ |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=ASEAN Website}}</ref> 
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ASEAN Chairs
!Year
!Country
|-
|2008|| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Thailand}}
|-
|2009
|-
|2010||{{flag|Vietnam}}
|-
|2011||{{flag|Indonesia}}
|-
|2012||{{flag|Cambodia}}
|-
|2013||{{flag|Brunei}}
|-
|2014||{{flag|Myanmar}}
|-
|2015||{{flag|Malaysia}}
|-
|2016||{{flag|Laos}}
|-
|2017||{{flag|Philippines}}
|-
|2018||{{flag|Singapore}}
|-
|2019||{{flag|Thailand}}
|-
|2020||{{flag|Vietnam}}
|-
|2021||{{flag|Brunei}}
|-
|2022||{{flag|Cambodia}}
|-
|2023||{{flag|Indonesia}}
|-
|2024||{{flag|Laos}}
|-
|2025
|{{flag|Malaysia}}
|}

===Public health===
In response to pandemics, ASEAN has coordinated with ASEAN+3 and other actors to create a regional public health response.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ASEAN Health Sector Efforts in the Prevention, Detection and Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) |url=https://asean.org/asean-health-sector-efforts-in-the-prevention-detection-and-response-to-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-1/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=asean.org}}</ref>

====SARS outbreak====
During the [[2002–2004 SARS outbreak|SARS outbreak]], ASEAN and ASEAN+3 worked together to devise a response to the outbreak. Immediate and short-to-medium term measures were devised. The parties agreed to enhance sharing of best practices against the disease while also agreeing to bolster collaboration between their respective health authorities and harmonize travel procedures to ensure that proper health screening would occur. In addition, China offered to contribute $1.2 million to the ASEAN SARS fund, made both to show that it was willing to cooperate with the rest of the region and make amends for its withholding of information during the initial stages of the outbreak.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Caballero-Anthony |first=Mely |date=June 2005 |title=SARS in Asia: Crisis, Vulnerabilities, and Regional Responses |journal=Asian Survey |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=475–495|doi=10.1525/as.2005.45.3.475 }}</ref>

====H1N1 pandemic====
ASEAN held a special meeting between ASEAN and ASEAN+3 health ministers on 8 May 2009, on responding to the [[2009 swine flu pandemic|H1N1 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2009 |title=Press Release – "Full Marks" for ASEAN in Common Defense Against Influenza A (H1N1), Bangkok, 8 May 2009 |url=https://asean.org/press-release-full-marks-for-asean-in-common-defense-against-influenza-a-h1n1-bangkok-8-may-2009-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615011241/https://asean.org/press-release-full-marks-for-asean-in-common-defense-against-influenza-a-h1n1-bangkok-8-may-2009-2/ |archive-date=15 June 2021 |website=ASEAN}}</ref> At this meeting, it was agreed that hotlines would be established between public health authorities, joint response teams would be formed, and ongoing research efforts would be bolstered.

===Myanmar crisis===
Since 2017, political, military and ethnic affairs in [[Myanmar]] have posed unusual challenges for ASEAN, creating precedent-breaking situations and threatening the traditions and unity of the group, and its global standing<ref name="myanmar_coup_asean_split_2021_03_29_dw_com">[https://www.dw.com/en/myanmar-coup-asean-ties/a-57042503 "Myanmar coup: ASEAN split over the way forward,"] 29 March 2021, [[Deutsche Welle]], ([https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4163647 same article] at ''[[Taiwan News]]'') retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="aseans_future_2021_06_21_foreignpolicy_com">Laksmana, Evan A. (Centre on Asia and Globalisation, [[National University of Singapore]]): [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/21/asean-myanmar-brunei-southeast-asia-special-envoy-junta-humanitarian-aid-aha-center/ "ASEAN's Future Will Be Decided in Myanmar,"] date, ''[[Foreign Policy (magazine)|Foreign Policy]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="myanmar_pushes_asean_lowyinstitute_org">Williams, Nicola: [https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/myanmar-pushes-asean-brink "Myanmar pushes ASEAN to the brink,"] 10 June 2021, ''The Interpreter,'' [[Lowy Institute]], retrieved 8 November 2021 (''"The Myanmar coup presents to ASEAN the most serious threat to the importance of its regional diplomacy since the Cold War."'')</ref><ref name="myanmars_crisis_tests_asean_2021_08_27_brookings_edu">[https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/08/27/myanmars-crisis-tests-asean/ "Myanmar's crisis tests ASEAN,"] 27 August 2021, ''Southeast Asia Insights,'' [[Brookings Institution]], retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="myanmar_crisis_2021_03_04_asia_times">Bowie, Nile [https://asiatimes.com/2021/03/myanmar-crisis-now-or-never-moment-for-asean/ "Myanmar crisis now or never moment for ASEAN,"] 4 March 2021, ''[[Asia Times]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref>—with ASEAN responses indicating possible fundamental change in the nature of the organization.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com">[https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-11-08/rohingya-crisis-suu-kyi-under-the-microscope-at-southeast-asia-summit "Rohingya Crisis, Suu Kyi Under the Microscope at Southeast Asia Summit,"] 8 November 2018, [[Reuters News Service]] in  ''[[U.S. News]],'' (same article at ''[[New York Times]]'' [https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/11/08/world/asia/08reuters-asean-summit.html]), retrieved November 2018</ref><ref name="breaking_resistance_2018_12_06_jakarta_post">Wisnu, Dinna (Indonesian representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights):  [http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2018/12/06/breaking-resistance-to-human-rights-democracies-and-rohingya.html "Breaking resistance to human rights: Democracies and Rohingya,"]  6 December 2018, ''[[Jakarta Post]]'' retrieved December 2018</ref><ref name="asean_pushes_boundaries_2021_04_26_reuters">{{Cite news |last1=Wongcha-um |first1=Panu |last2=Johnson |first2=Kay |date=2021-04-26 |title=Analysis: On Myanmar, ASEAN pushes boundaries of "non-interference"|work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-asean-pushes-boundaries-non-interference-2021-04-26/ |access-date=2023-05-22}}</ref><ref name="why_aseans_rebuke_2021_10_21_iiss_org">[https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2021/10/why-aseans-rebuke-of-myanmars-top-general-matters Analysis: "Why ASEAN's rebuke of Myanmar's top general matters,"] 21 October 2021, [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]], retrieved November, 2021</ref><ref name="sign_of_change_2021_10_20_asialink">Coppel, Nicholas ([[Monash University]], former Australian Ambassador to Myanmar): [https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/insights/aseans-snub-to-myanmar-junta-a-sign-of-change "ASEAN's snub to Myanmar junta a sign of change,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304213931/https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/insights/aseans-snub-to-myanmar-junta-a-sign-of-change |date=4 March 2022 }} 20 October 2021, ''[[Asialink#Asialink Insights|Asialink Insights]],'' [[Asialink]], [[University of Melbourne]], retrieved 8 November 2021</ref>

====Rohingya genocide====
The [[Rohingya genocide]] erupting in [[Myanmar]] in August 2017—killing thousands of [[Rohingya people]] in Myanmar,<ref name="msf_estimates_2017_12_13_bbc">[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42348214 "MSF estimates more than 6,700 Rohingya killed in Myanmar,"]  13 December 2017, [[BBC News]], retrieved December 2017 (same topic at [[CBS News]][https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rohingya-myanmar-thousands-killed-2-months-doctors-without-borders-msf-says/], [[The Independent]][http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/rohingya-crisis-latest-6700-muslims-killed-two-months-burma-doctors-without-borders-persecution-a8109131.html], [[Toronto Star]][https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/12/14/at-least-6700-rohingya-killed-in-myanmar-between-august-and-september-aid-group-says.html], and [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]][http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-14/rohingya-death-toll-in-the-thousands-says-msf/9260552])</ref><ref name="kill_all_you_see_2020_09_08_nytimes_com">[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-genocide.html "'Kill All You See': In a First, Myanmar Soldiers Tell of Rohingya Slaughter,"] 8 September 2020, ''[[New York Times]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="estimated_24000_murdered_2018_08_17_dhaka_tribune">[https://www.dhakatribune.com/world/south-asia/2018/08/17/study-claims-an-estimated-24-000-rohingya-murdered-in-myanmar "Study claims an estimated 24,000 Rohingyas murdered in Myanmar"] 17 August 2018, ''[[Dhaka Tribune]]'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref> driving most into neighboring [[Bangladesh]], and continuing for months<ref name="refugees_flee_2017_09_05_reuters_nbc">[https://www.nbcnews.com/slideshow/rohingya-muslims-flee-myanmar-trudging-through-treacherous-terrain-n798896 "Over 123,000 Rohingya Refugees Flee Violence in Myanmar,"], 5 September 2017, [[Reuters News Service]] / ''[[NBC]]'' retrieved September 2017</ref><ref name="textbook_example_2017_09_12_wash_post">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/textbook-example-of-ethnic-cleansing--370000-rohingyas-flood-bangladesh-as-crisis-worsens/2017/09/12/24bf290e-8792-41e9-a769-c79d7326bed0_story.html "'Textbook example of ethnic cleansing': 370,000 Rohingyas flood Bangladesh as crisis worsens,"], 12 September 2017, ''[[Washington Post]]'' retrieved September 2017</ref><ref name="myanmar_planned_attacks_2017_21_19_afp_cna">[https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/myanmar-planned-rohingya-attacks-possibly-genocide-un-rights-9508588 "Myanmar 'planned' Rohingya attacks, possibly 'genocide': UN rights chief,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223043844/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/myanmar-planned-rohingya-attacks-possibly-genocide-un-rights-9508588|date=23 December 2017}} 19 December 2017, [[Agence France-Presse]] in ''[[Channel NewsAsia]],'' (also at [[SBS News]] [https://www.sbs.com.au/news/myanmar-planned-rohingya-attacks-possibly-genocide-un-rights-chief], retrieved December 2017</ref><ref name="genocide_survivors_2017_12_17_smh_com_au">[http://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2017/Rohingya-crisis-lives-in-limbo/ "Genocide survivors in Bangladesh refugee camps face new threats,"], ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'' retrieved December 2017</ref>—created a global outcry demanding ASEAN take action against the civilian-military [[coalition government]] of Myanmar, which had long discriminated against the Rohingya, and had launched the 2017 attacks upon them.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="aseans_limited_role_2018_10_12_thediplomat_com">[https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/aseans-limited-role-in-solving-the-rohingya-crisis/ "ASEAN's Limited Role in Solving the Rohingya Crisis,"] 12 October 2018, ''[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="the_rohingya_crisis_us_response_2017_10_05_state_gov">[https://2017-2021.state.gov/the-rohingya-crisis-u-s-response-to-the-tragedy-in-burma/index.html " The Rohingya Crisis: U.S. Response to the Tragedy in Burma,"] testimony, 5 October 2017, ''[[U.S. State Department]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="totally_shameful_2020_06_26_jakarta_post">Septiari, Dian: [https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/06/26/totally-shameful-outrage-as-asean-nations-abandon-rohingya-boat-people.html "'Totally shameful': Outrage as ASEAN nations abandon Rohingya boat people,"] 26 June 2020, ''[[Jakarta Post]],'' retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Daily |first=The ASEAN |date=2023-08-08 |title=United Nations Investigators Uncover Escalating War Crimes In Myanmar Amid Alarming Surge In Atrocities |url=https://theaseandaily.com/united-nations-investigators-uncover-escalating-war-crimes-in-myanmar-amid-alarming-surge-in-atrocities/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=THE ASEAN DAILY}}</ref>
<!--
As the Rohingya were predominantly [[Muslim]] (in [[Buddhist]]-dominated Myanmar), and the ethnic cleansing was framed in religious terms, other largely-Muslim ASEAN nations (particularly Malaysia,<ref name="barely_a_peep_2017_12_17_forbes">Muslimin, Anis Shakirah Mohd: [https://www.forbes.com/sites/anismuslimin/2017/12/17/aseans-rohingya-response-barely-a-peep-outside-of-malaysia/ "ASEAN's Rohingya Response: Barely a Peep Outside of Malaysia"] December 17, 2017, ''[[Forbes]]'' retrieved December 2017</ref><ref name="aung_san_suu_kyi_asks_2018_03_18_theguardian_com">[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/18/aung-san-suu-kyi-asks-australia-and-asean-for-help-with-rohingya-crisis "Aung San Suu Kyi asks Australia and ASEAN for help with Rohingya crisis,"] March 18, 2018, ''[[The Guardian]],'' retrieved March 2018</ref><ref name="mahathir_slams_suu_kyi_2018_11_13_ap_foxnews">[https://www.foxnews.com/world/mahathir-slams-myanmars-suu-kyi-for-handling-of-rohingya "Mahathir slams Myanmar's Suu Kyi for handling of Rohingya"]  November 13, 2018, [[Associated Press]] in [[Fox News]], retrieved November 6, 2021</ref> Indonesia,<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="barely_a_peep_2017_12_17_forbes" /> Singapore,<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /> and Brunei<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="barely_a_peep_2017_12_17_forbes" />) objected, some strongly<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="myanmar_coup_asean_split_2021_03_29_dw_com" /><ref name="islamic_countries_2018_05_07_times_of_india">[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/islamic-countries-call-rohingya-crisis-ethnic-cleansing/articleshow/64063168.cms  "Islamic countries call Rohingya crisis 'ethnic cleansing',"] May 7, 2018, ''[[Times of India]]'' retrieved May 2018</ref>—and also objected to the burden of Rohingya refugees arriving on their shores<ref name="totally_shameful_2020_06_26_jakarta_post"/> (as did ASEAN neighbors Buddhist-dominated Thailand<ref name="totally_shameful_2020_06_26_jakarta_post" /><ref name="asean_must_pressure_2018_12_17_thestar_com_my">[https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2018/12/17/asean-must-pressure-myanmar-and-suu-kyi-on-rohingya-issue/ "ASEAN must pressure Myanmar and Suu Kyi on Rohingya issue, says Dr M.,"] December 17, 2018, ''[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]''  (Malaysia)  retrieved December 2018</ref> and Muslim-dominated observer-nation Bangladesh.<ref name="bd_wants_safe_zone_2019 Jan 29_unb_com_bd">[http://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/bd-wants-myanmar-to-create-safe-zone-for-rohingyas-under-supervision-of-asean/11615 "BD wants Myanmar to create safe zone for Rohingyas under supervision of ASEAN,"]  January 29, 2019, ''[[United News of Bangladesh]],'' retrieved February 2019</ref><ref name="dhaka_seeks_2019_07_22_thedailystar_net">[https://www.thedailystar.net/rohingya-crisis/myanmar-rohingya-crisis-dhaka-seeks-nam-asean-member-states-role-1775227 "Dhaka seeks NAM, ASEAN member states' role,"] July 22, 2019, ''[[Daily Star (Bangladesh)]],'' retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="bangladesh_calls_2021_04_20_cnbc">[https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/20/bangladesh-calls-on-asean-to-pressure-myanmar-to-take-rohingya-refugees-.html "Bangladesh calls on ASEAN to pressure Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees,"] April 20, 2021, ''[[CNBC]],'' retrieved November 7, 2021</ref>

Myanmar's civilian leader, [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], also reportedly asked ASEAN for help with the Rohingya crisis, in March 2018, but was rebuffed by ASEAN's chair, who said it was an "internal matter."<ref name="aung_san_suu_kyi_asks_2018_03_18_theguardian_com" />

ASEAN had a longstanding firm policy of "non-interference in the internal affairs of member nations," and was reluctant, as an organization, to take sides in the conflict, or act materially.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="barely_a_peep_2017_12_17_forbes" /><ref name="se_asia_summit_draft_2017_11_12_reuters">[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-asean-summit-myanmar/southeast-asia-summit-draft-statement-skips-over-rohingya-crisis-idUSKBN1DD0CP?il=0 "Southeast Asia summit draft statement skips over Rohingya crisis,"] November 12, 2017, [[Reuters News Service]] (also at ''[[Bangkok Post]]'' [https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1359704/asean-summit-draft-statement-skips-over-rohingya-crisis]), retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="suu_kyi_benefits_2017_11_13_cbs">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/asean-summit-aung-san-suu-kyi-rohingya-crisis-myanmar/ "Suu Kyi benefits from neighbors' silence on Rohingya,"] November 13, 2017, [[CBS News]], retrieved November 6, 2021</ref>

Internal<ref name="asean_mps_2018_09_08_unb_thedailystar_net">[https://www.thedailystar.net/rohingya-crisis/news/asean-mps-lawmakers-welcome-icc-jurisdiction-over-crimes-against-rohingya-myanmar-1630597 "Asean MPs welcome ICC jurisdiction over crimes against Rohingya,"]  September 8, 2018, [[United News of Bangladesh]] in ''[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]],'' retrieved November 6, 2021</ref> and international<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="asean_prioritize_2019_06_19_dhaka_tribune">[https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/rohingya-crisis/2019/06/19/human-rights-organizations-call-on-asean-to-prioritize-rohingya-rights  "Asean: Prioritize Rohingya rights, safety; The organizations highlighted this as Southeast Asian leaders prepare to meet in Bangkok,"] June 19, 2019, ''[[Dhaka Tribune]],'' retrieved November 7, 2021</ref> pressure mounted for ASEAN to take a firmer stance on the Rohingya crisis, and by late 2018, the group's global credibility was threatened by its inaction.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="totally_shameful_2020_06_26_jakarta_post" /><ref name="asean_will_help_2018_09_30_straits_times">Ghosh, Nirmal: [https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/asean-will-help-but-myanmar-has-to-exercise-responsibility-on-rohingya-issue Singapore's Foreign Minister:  "Asean will help, but Myanmar has to exercise responsibility on Rohingya issue,"]  September 30, 2018, ''[[Straits Times]]'' (Singapore), retrieved October 2018</ref>

In response, ASEAN began to put pressure on Myanmar to be less hostile to the Rohingya, and to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities against them.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="asean_will_help_2018_09_30_straits_times" /><ref name="asean_must_pressure_2018_12_17_thestar_com_my" />

However ASEAN's positions on the issue largely divided on religious lines, with Muslim nations siding more with the Rohingya, while Buddhist nations initially sided more with Myanmar's government, threatening a [[sectarianism|sectarian]] division of ASEAN. [[authoritarianism|Authoritarian]] ASEAN nations, too (mostly Buddhist), were less enthusiastic than [[democracy|democratic]] ASEAN nations (mostly Muslim), about holding Myanmar officials accountable for crimes against their Rohingya minority.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="barely_a_peep_2017_12_17_forbes" /><ref name="bd_wants_safe_zone_2019 Jan 29_unb_com_bd" />

But, by late-2018, most ASEAN nations had begun to advocate for a more forceful ASEAN response to the Rohingya crisis, and a harder line against Myanmar—breaking with the group's traditional policy of "non-interference" in members' "internal affairs"—a break emphasized by the Rohingya crisis being formally placed on the December 2018 ASEAN summit agenda.<ref name="under_microscope_2018_11_08_reuters_usnews_com" /><ref name="asean_must_pressure_2018_12_17_thestar_com_my" /><ref name="on_the_rohingya_2018_12_27_aseannews_net">[http://www.aseannews.net/rohingya-asean-meeting-message/ "On the Rohingya, the ASEAN Meeting was the Message,"]  December 27, 2018, ''[[ASEAN News]]'' (also at ''[[Bangkok Post]]'' [http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1169161/rohingya-plight-now-an-asean-issue]) retrieved November 6, 2021</ref>

In early 2019, Bangladesh suggested that Myanmar create a safe haven for the Rohingya within its borders, under ASEAN supervision<ref name="bd_wants_safe_zone_2019 Jan 29_unb_com_bd" /> (later expanding that idea to include India, China and Japan among the supervisors).<ref name="india_should_monitor_2019_02_10_the_hindu">[https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-should-monitor-safety-of-rohingya/article26231318.ece "'India should monitor safety of Rohingya':  Bangladesh,"]  February 10, 2019, ''[[The Hindu]]'' (India), retrieved February 2019</ref><ref name="myanmar_asean_team 2019_07_26_irrawaddy">[https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-asean-team-visit-rohingyas-camp.html "Myanmar, ASEAN Team to Visit Rohingyas Camp,"] July 26, 2019, ''[[The Irrawaddy]],'' retrieved November 6, 2021</ref>

In mid-2019, ASEAN was heavily criticized by human rights organizations for a report, which ASEAN commissioned, which turned out to praise Myanmar's work on Rohingya [[repatriation]], while glossing over atrocities and abuses against the Rohingya.<ref name="outcry_asean_report_2019_06_07_dhaka_tribune">[https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/rohingya-crisis/2019/06/08/outcry-as-asean-predicts-smooth-rohingya-return-to-myanmar "Outcry as ASEAN report predicts 'smooth' return of Rohingya to Myanmar,"] June 8, 2019, ''[[Dhaka Tribune]]'' (Bangladesh), retrieved June 2019 (same topic at ''[[Straits Times]]'' [https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/outcry-as-an-asean-report-predicts-smooth-return-of-rohingya-to-myanmar] and ''[[Jakarta Post]]'' [https://www.thejakartapost.com/seasia/2019/06/08/outcry-over-leaked-rohingya-report.html])</ref><ref name="asean_prioritize_2019_06_19_dhaka_tribune" /><ref name="aha_centre_defends_2019_06_10_channelnewsasia">[https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/aaha-centre-defends-leaked-report-on-rohingya-refugees-11613142 "AHA Centre defends leaked report on Rohingya refugees,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509110301/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/aaha-centre-defends-leaked-report-on-rohingya-refugees-11613142 |date=9 May 2021 }} June 10, 2019, ''[[Channel NewsAsia]]'' (Singapore), retrieved June 2019</ref><ref name="malaysia_rattles_2019_06_22_new_straits_times">[https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/498302/malaysia-rattles-asean-summit-demands-justice-rohingya "Malaysia rattles ASEAN summit, demands 'justice' for Rohingya,"] June 22, 2019, [[Agence France-Presse]] in ''[[New Straits Times]]'' (Singapore), (same article at ''[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|Daily Star]]'' (Bangladesh) [https://www.thedailystar.net/rohingya-crisis/news/malaysia-calls-justice-and-citizenship-rohingya-muslims-1760779] ), retrieved June 2019</ref><ref name="asean_dont_whitewash_2019_06_19_hrw_org">[https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/06/19/asean-dont-whitewash-atrocities-against-rohingya "ASEAN: Don't Whitewash Atrocities Against Rohingya; Repatriation Report Ignores Dire Situation in Myanmar,"] June 26, 2020, [[Human Rights Watch]], retrieved November 7, 2021</ref>

The June 2019 ASEAN summit was shaken by the Malaysian foreign minister's declaration that persons responsible for the abuses of the Rohingya be prosecuted and punished—conduct unusually undiplomatic at ASEAN summits.<ref name="malaysia_rattles_2019_06_22_new_straits_times" />  ASEAN pressed Myanmar for a firm timeline for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar<ref name="seek_time_frame_2019_06_22_kyodo_news">[https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/06/cbf10cb092e6-update1-asean-foreign-ministers-seek-time-frame-for-return-of-rohingya.html "ASEAN foreign ministers seek time frame for return of Rohingya,"] June 22, 2019, ''[[Kyodo News]]'' (Japan), retrieved November 6, 2021</ref>—pressuring Myanmar to provide "safety and security for all communities in Rakhine State as effectively as possible and facilitate the voluntary return of displaced persons in a safe, secure and dignified manner."<ref name="asean_leaders_hold_off_2019_06_23_bloomberg">[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-23/asean-leaders-hold-off-from-demanding-citizenship-for-rohingyas "ASEAN Leaders Hold Off From Demanding Citizenship for Rohingyas,"] June 23, 2019, ''[[Bloomberg News]]'' retrieved June 2019</ref>

In August 2019, the annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting concluded with a joint [[communique]] calling on Myanmar's government to guarantee the safety of all Rohingya—both in Myanmar and in exile—and pushed for more dialogue with the refugees about their repatriation to Myanmar. But later that month ASEAN's  Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) supported Myanmar's "efforts" on repatriation, with aid, restraining some members' desire for more intrusive proposals.<ref name="asean_meeting_2019_08_05_jakarta_post ">[https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/08/05/asean-calls-safety-rohingya.html "ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting: ASEAN calls for safety of Rohingya,"] August 5, 2019, ''[[Jakarta Post]]'' retrieved August 2019</ref><ref name="most_asean_members_2019_08_28_irrawaddy ">[https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/asean-members-back-myanmars-repatriation-aid-efforts-rakhine.html "Most ASEAN Members Back Myanmar's Repatriation, Aid Efforts in Rakhine,"] August 28, 2019, ''[[The Irrawaddy]]'' retrieved August 2018</ref>

By January 2020, ASEAN had made little progress to prepare safe conditions for the Rohingya's return to Myanmar.<ref name="indonesia_urges_2021_01_22_jakarta_post">[https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/safe-01212021153814.html "Indonesia Urges Myanmar to Create Safe Conditions for Rohingya Repatriation,"]  January 22, 2021, ''[[Jakarta Post]]'' retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="totally_shameful_2020_06_26_jakarta_post" />
-->

====2021 Myanmar coup====
[[File:ASEAN leaders facing Myanmar Junta leader.jpg|thumb|Special ASEAN summit on the 2021 Myanmar coup]]
On 1 February 2021, the day before a newly elected slate of civilian leaders was to take office in Myanmar, a military junta overthrew Myanmar's civilian government in a [[2021 Myanmar coup d'etat|coup d'etat]], declaring a national [[state of emergency]], imposing [[martial law]], arresting elected civilian leaders, violently clamping down on dissent, and replacing civilian government with the military's appointees.<ref name="military_seizes_power_2021_02_01_thedailystar_net">[https://www.thedailystar.net/asia/news/myanmar-military-seizes-power-detains-elected-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi-2037309 "Myanmar military  seizes power, detains elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi." ] 1–2 February 2021, ''[[Daily Star (Bangladesh)]]'' retrieved February 2021</ref><ref name="asean_leaders_agree_2021_04_25_afp_bangkok_post">[https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2104915/asean-leaders-agree-5-point-plan-for-myanmar "Asean leaders agree 5-point plan for Myanmar,"], ''[[Bangkok Post]]'' with [[Agence France-Presse]], retrieved November 2021</ref><ref name="aseans_indecision_2021_06_15_amnesty_org">[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/06/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-goes-on-trial-asean-indecision-enabling-military-rampage/ "Myanmar: As Aung San Suu Kyi goes on trial, ASEAN's indecision is enabling military rampage,"] 15 June 2021,  [[Amnesty International]], retrieved 7 November 2021</ref><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters">[https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/tradition-vs-credibility-inside-se-asian-meet-that-snubbed-myanmar-2021-10-19/ "Tradition vs credibility: Inside the SE Asian meet that snubbed Myanmar,"] 19 October 2021, [[Reuters News Service]], retrieved 8 November 2021</ref> Widespread protests and resistance erupted, and elements of the civilian leadership formed an underground "[[National Unity Government of Myanmar|National Unity Government]]" (NUG). Global opposition to the coup emerged, and global pressure was brought on ASEAN to take action.<ref name="un_calls_for_reversal_2021_03_10_ap">[https://apnews.com/article/aung-san-suu-kyi-asia-pacific-myanmar-united-nations-4d0b4e78b8b740784c7ed5adb0aec3b4 "UN calls for reversal of Myanmar coup and condemns violence,"] 10 March 2021, [[Associated Press]], (same article at: [[U.S. News]] [https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-03-10/diplomats-un-to-condemn-violence-against-myanmar-protesters] and [[CTV News]] (Canada) [https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/un-calls-for-reversal-of-myanmar-coup-and-condemns-violence-1.5342124]), retrieved March 2021</ref><ref name="un_calls_for_reversal_2021_07_29_ap_abc_news">[https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-urges-council-press-myanmar-return-democracy-79153798 "US urges UN Council to press Myanmar to return to democracy.,"] 29 July 2021, [[Associated Press]], retrieved July 2021</ref><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" /><ref name="aseans_snub_2021_10_20_channelnewsasia">[https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/asean-myanmar-protest-military-government-nug-sac-min-aung-hlaing-un-2254311 "Commentary: Is ASEAN's snub to Myanmar military the start of a new approach?"] 20 October 2021, [[Channel NewsAsia]], retrieved 9 November 2021</ref><ref name="asean_inflection_2021_08_airuniversity_af_edu">Durst, Charles ([[Eurasia Group]]): [https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/2747515/the-myanmar-coup-as-an-asean-inflection-point/ "The Myanmar Coup as an ASEAN Inflection Point"] August 2021 (Special Issue), ''[[Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs]],'' [[Air University (United States Air Force)|Air University]], (also print edition PDF at: [https://media.defense.gov/2021/Aug/26/2002840264/-1/-1/1/DUNST.PDF]), retrieved 9 November 2021</ref><!--
Initially, ASEAN remained detached from the controversy, though Muslim-dominated members (mostly democracies, already vocal against the Rohingya genocide) expressed strong objection to the coup, while the mostly-Buddhist authoritarian members of ASEAN remained quiet.<ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" /><ref name="myanmar_crisis_2021_03_04_asia_times" /><ref name="myanmar_coup_asean_split_2021_03_29_dw_com" />

In April 2021, in the first-ever ASEAN summit called to deal primarily with a domestic crisis in a member state,<ref name="myanmar_coup_asean_split_2021_03_29_dw_com" /> ASEAN leaders met with Myanmar's coup leader, Senior General [[Min Aung Hlaing]], and agreed to a five-point consensus solution to the crisis in Myanmar:<ref name="asean_leaders_agree_2021_04_25_afp_bangkok_post" /><ref name="chairmans_statement_2021_04_24_asean">[https://asean.org/chairmans-statement-on-the-asean-leaders-meeting-24-april-2021-and-five-point-consensus-2/ "Chairman's Statement on the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting "] (and appendix: "Five-Point Consensus"), April 24, 2021, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia, retrieved November 6, 2021</ref>
*The immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar;
*Constructive dialogue among all parties concerned... to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people;
*Mediation facilitated by an envoy of ASEAN's Chair, with the assistance of ASEAN's Secretary-General;
*Humanitarian assistance provided by ASEAN through its AHA Centre; and
*A visit to Myanmar, by the special envoy and delegation, to meet with all parties concerned.

The ASEAN agreement with Myanmar drew strong criticism from over 150 human rights organizations for its lax approach,<ref name="statement_on_myanmar_2021_05_05_hrw_org">[https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/05/global-civil-society-statement-myanmar "Global Civil Society Statement on Myanmar; Call for Arms Embargo on Myanmar,"], May 5, 2021, [[Human Rights Watch]] and 150 other organizations, jointly, including: [[Amnesty International]], [[Fortify Rights]], [[ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights]], [[International Council of Jurists]], and the [[World Council of Churches]], retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="aseans_indecision_2021_06_15_amnesty_org" /> yet the Myanmar junta did not comply with any of the points of the plan.<ref name="aseans_indecision_2021_06_15_amnesty_org" /><ref name="us_urges_un_council_2021_07_29_ap_abc_news">[https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-urges-council-press-myanmar-return-democracy-79153798 "US urges UN Council to press Myanmar to return to democracy,"] July 29, 2021, [[Associated Press]] / [[ABC News]], retrieved July 2021</ref><ref name="hlaing_excluded_2021_10_16_bbc">[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58938489 "Myanmar army general Min Aung Hlaing excluded from leaders' summit,"] October 16, 2021, [[BBC News]], retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" />

On 18 June 2021, the [[United Nations General Assembly]] (UNGA)—in a rare move, with a nearly unanimous resolution—condemned Myanmar's coup, and called for an [[arms embargo]] against the country. The UNGA consulted with ASEAN and integrated most of ASEAN's 5-point consensus into the resolution (adding demands that the junta release all political prisoners). But, while Communist Vietnam voted "yes," along with the ASEAN democracies (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines), most authoritarian ASEAN states (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei) abstained.<ref name="un_assembly_condemns_2021_06_18_apnews">[https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-united-nations-myanmar-business-global-trade-72dbb95927b735de2b83dc1a85abdd72 "UN assembly condemns Myanmar coup, calls for arms embargo,"] June 18, 2021, [[Associated Press]] retrieved June 2021</ref><ref name="resolution_75_287_unga_2021_06_18_undocs_org">[https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/75/287 "Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 June 2021: 75/287. The situation in Myanmar"],  June 18, 2021,  ''[[United Nations General Assembly]]'' retrieved June 2021</ref>

In October 2021, despite its consensus agreement with ASEAN, Myanmar's junta refused to allow ASEAN representatives to speak with Myanmar's deposed and imprisoned civilian leader [[Aung San Suu Kyi]].<ref name="hlaing_excluded_2021_10_16_bbc" /><ref name="junta_rebuffs_2021_10_04_irrawaddy">[https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-rebuffs-asean-request-to-meet-suu-kyi.html "Myanmar Junta Rebuffs ASEAN Request to Meet Suu Kyi,"], October 4, 2021, ''[[The Irrawaddy]]'' retrieved November 6, 2021</ref><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" />

Following lobbying by the [[United Nations]], [[United States of America|United States]], [[European Union]], [[United Kingdom]], and other nations, ASEAN declined to invite Myanmar's Gen. Hlaing to represent Myanmar at ASEAN's October 2021 summit—the first time in ASEAN's history that it did not invite a political leader from a member nation to one of its summits. Nor did ASEAN invite a representative of Myanmar's underground National Unity Government, saying it would consider inviting a non-political representative of the country, instead, (though none was actually invited).<ref name="us_urges_un_council_2021_07_29_ap_abc_news" /><ref name="asean_to_exclude_2021_10_15_apnews">[https://apnews.com/article/business-asia-myanmar-global-trade-southeast-asia-020da6ef264d3a95c1cbffaa020cda59 "ASEAN to exclude Myanmar's leader from summit in key rebuke,"], October 15, 2021, ''[[Associated Press]]'' (same article at ''[[Globe and Mail]]'' (Canada) [https://apnews.com/article/business-asia-myanmar-global-trade-southeast-asia-020da6ef264d3a95c1cbffaa020cda59]), retrieved October 2021</ref><ref name="hlaing_excluded_2021_10_16_bbc" /><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" /><ref name="can_asean_overcome_2021_11_01_nikkei_asia">Robinson, Gwen: [https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Comment/Can-ASEAN-overcome-the-Myanmar-curse "Can ASEAN overcome the 'Myanmar curse'?:  Regional grouping struggles with changing dynamics due to 'pariah' member,"] November 1, 2021, ''[[Nikkei Asia]],'' retrieved November 7, 2021</ref><ref name="aseans_snub_2021_10_20_channelnewsasia" />

The unusual ASEAN action was widely seen as a major setback for the Myanmar junta's attempt to achieve global recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar,<ref name="why_aseans_rebuke_2021_10_21_iiss_org" /><ref name="asean_to_exclude_2021_10_15_apnews" /><ref name="hlaing_excluded_2021_10_16_bbc" /><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" /> and a sign of broader change in the behavior and role of ASEAN.<ref name="asean_pushes_boundaries_2021_04_26_reuters" /><ref name="why_aseans_rebuke_2021_10_21_iiss_org" /><ref name="sign_of_change_2021_10_20_asialink" /><ref name="tradition_vs_credibility_2021_10_19_reuters" />
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