Myanmar to dominate Asean summit as violence escalates

This picture shows a vacant chair for the Myanmar delegation during Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting in Labuan Bajo on May 9, 2023. - AFP

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AFP): Junta-ruled Myanmar is set to dominate a meeting of Sout-East Asian nations in Indonesia starting Tuesday (May 9), 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.