S'pore to Asean's partners: 'Lean forward' to stop Myanmar turmoil

East Asia Summit must also aim to prevent full-blown conflict in Asia: PM

- Tan Tam Mei

Singapore has called on Asean's key partners, including the United States and China, to use their leverage over the Myanmar authorities to stop the ongoing violence in the country, and to pave the way for humanitarian aid and national reconciliation.

“Asean will do its part but we need our external partners to lean forward as well,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Oct 11.

He said support from Asean's partners to confront regional challenges was essential - not just to resolve the pressing challenge of the long-drawn conflict in Myanmar, but also to ensure that the EAS platform can continue to play a “vital role”.

With Asean at its core, the EAS brings together eight major partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.

The annual Asean Summits and related meetings are being held against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the broader US-China rivalry. Summit discussions have largely been dominated by two regional challenges, namely the crisis in Myanmar and the disputed South China Sea.

“For now in Asia, we largely enjoy peace and stability, but there are potential hot spots and serious trust deficits,” said PM Wong.

He added: “In these troubled times, the EAS remains the only platform capable of bringing all the key players in our region to the same table.