FOREIGN ministers and top diplomats from south Asian nations gathered in the Laotian capital today to begin three days of strategic talks.

The summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) in Vientiane is expected to focus on the increasingly violent civil war in Myanmar, tensions in the South China Sea and other regional issues.

The strategic importance of the summit will be underlined by the attendance of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith thanked Asean members and partners for their “unwavering collective effort” that led to its past achievements and emphasised the importance of the bloc’s continuous work to promote peace and stability.

In his opening statement Mr Kommasith said: “In light of the rapid and complex geopolitical and geo-economic changes, we need to further enhance Asean centrality and unity so as to promote the relevance and resilience of Asean, aiming at addressing emerging challenges and seizing opportunity in the future.”

For the Asean nations — Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos — the violence in Myanmar is at the top of the agenda as the bloc struggles to implement its “five-point consensus” for peace.

The plan calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by an Asean special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. 

In Myanmar, the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread non-violent protests that sought a return to democratic rule, leading to increasing violence and a humanitarian crisis.

The military leadership in Myanmar has so far ignored the bloc’s plan for peace.

Meanwhile, more than 5,400 people have been killed in the fighting and left at least three million displaced in Myanmar and the military government has arrested more than 27,000 since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. 

In an effort to put pressure on Myanmar, Asean has prohibited it from sending any political representatives to top-level meetings.

Co-operation over the use of the strategically important South China Sea is also certain to be on the summit agenda.

After tensions escalated this year over the use of the sea, China and the Philippines said on Sunday they have reached a deal that they hope will end confrontations and help to establish a mutually acceptable arrangement at the disputed area.