Asean leaders seek unity at summit dominated by Myanmar crisis

(L-R) Philippine's President Ferdinand Marcos Jr , Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao pose for a family photo during the 43rd Asean Summit in JakartaSept 5, 2023. - Reuters

JAKARTA (AFP): South-east Asian leaders met in Indonesia on Tuesday (Sept 5) to seek a united voice on the years-long Myanmar crisis and tackle rifts over China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent.