Urgent action on Myanmar is needed but engaging the junta at the Southeast Asian leaders meeting is a risky gamble

The international community is putting its hopes on a meeting between Southeast Asian leaders this weekend to reach a breakthrough on stopping the violence in Myanmar, as the country's ruling military junta continues its brutal and bloody suppression of civilian opposition.

Analysts say the special leaders meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday in the Indonesian capital Jakarta could provide the best chance yet to agree on a pathway out of the crisis in Myanmar, which risks spilling over into neighboring countries and creating further instability in the region.

There is considerable international pressure for the leaders to reach an agreement on how best to resolve the escalating violence, stemming from the military's ruthless ousting of Myanmar's democratically elected government on February 1 this year. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said ASEAN's role "is more crucial than ever" and urged "regional actors to leverage their influence to prevent further deterioration and, ultimately, find a peaceful way out of this catastrophe."

Read more