World
Myanmar to dominate Asean summit as violence escalates

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia: Junta-ruled Myanmar is set to dominate a meeting of Southeast Asian nations in Indonesia starting Tuesday, after an airstrike on a village last month reportedly killed at least 170 people.

Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) — long-decried by critics as a toothless talking shop — has led diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis.

This picture shows a vacant chair for the Myanmar delegation during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers' meeting in Labuan Bajo on May 9, 2023. AFP PHOTO