COMMENT | Asean’s repeated calls for a ceasefire in Myanmar are beginning to ring hollow. In its latest statement, the bloc urged an end to violence against civilians and expressed “appreciation” for a temporary ceasefire even as 22 children were killed in Sagaing on May 12.

Appreciation, in this context, is not just tone-deaf. It is disconnected from the brutal realities on the ground.

It’s time to stop issuing statements and start addressing the core problem: the Myanmar junta’s impunity is made possible by the military, financial, and diplomatic backing it receives from China, Russia, and India.

If Asean is serious about stopping the bloodshed, then its first move must be to...