Asean has struggled over the last five years to respond to the Myanmar crisis following the Feb 1, 2021, military coup.

It was therefore no surprise that 99 civil society organisations (CSOs) penned a protest letter to the regional body following the Jan 6 visit of the then newly-appointed special envoy of the Asean chair on Myanmar for 2026, Philippines Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro, to Naypyidaw.

Lazaro (above) had gone to Naypyidaw to shake hands with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and hold discussions.

Asean’s new chair has...