ASEAN faces Myanmar dilemma as some members pursue closer ties

Myanmar’s defense attache to the Philippines Tun Tun San arrives to attend the opening ceremony of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Cebu, central Philippines, on Oct. 28. | Pool / via REUTERS

Nov 14, 2026

Bangkok – ASEAN is under increasing pressure at its upcoming summit to ease a five-year ban on Myanmar’s military-backed leaders attending high-level meetings, after Thailand and several other members stepped up engagement despite the country’s ongoing civil war.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are set to review their decision to exclude Myanmar when they meet in Manila from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021, when then-military chief Min Aung Hlaing ousted the elected government in a coup, unleashing armed conflict across much of the country that has killed more than 100,000 people.

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