Soldiers stand next to military vehicles as people gather to protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 15, 2021. (Photo: Antara/ Reuters)

Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations observer from Indonesia’s University of Padjadjaran, said ASEAN’s decision to invite a non-political representative from Myanmar instead of the nation’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to the regional summit should make Myanmar think about how to deal with its worsening situation. The Indonesian scholar said excluding Myanmar’s military representative was the right decision.

Echoing that opinion, Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law observer from the University of Indonesia, said ASEAN didn’t need to invite Myanmar, even a non-political representative, to the event. ASEAN needs to listen to reports from special envoys and stand firm.

According to Mr. Juwana, the current situation is challenging for ASEAN, with tensions between the US and China and a potential intervention by the trilateral security alliance of the US, Australia and the UK (AUKUS), on the rise.