After three years of failed diplomacy, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has upped the ante and warned the military junta in Myanmar to end the civil war and allow the free flow of much-needed humanitarian aid.

At a Malaysia conference, ministers of ASEAN nations pledged to step up the fight against illegal online gambling and cyber-crime.

The bloc says that any election must be “inclusive,” but it has limited power to deter the junta from its election plans.

The first ASEAN ministerial level meeting held under the chairmanship of Malaysia concluded on Sunday (Jan 19), with the Southeast Asian grouping pledging to deepen collaboration and strengthen unity amid a shift in global order.

Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is set to chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) on Sunday (Jan 19) in Langkawi, Kedah. The AMM Retreat is the first scheduled meeting in the annual ASEAN calendar at the ministerial level under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

Malaysia has appointed a new ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar to try and implement the regional bloc’s stalled peace plan for the war-torn country.

ASEAN urges Myanmar's military leaders to prioritize peace over an election amid an escalating civil war :::: Langkawi, Malaysia :: Mohamad Hasan, Malaysian Foreign Minister "One thing that we know is that they want to have an election,

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Sunday reaffirmed that ASEAN will continue to drive its own path forward amid intensifying superpower competition in the region. With a highly geo-strategic position, cultural versatility, and economic weight, he said Southeast Asia holds massive potential.

The regional bloc told a junta representative at a meeting that a poll is “not a priority at the moment," Malaysia’s foreign minister said.

ASEAN has urged Myanmar's military government to prioritize ceasing hostilities and initiating dialogue over organizing elections amid ongoing civil war. Malaysia's foreign minister emphasized the need for unrestricted humanitarian access and stressed adherence to ASEAN's peace plan.

By Danial Azhar LANGKAWI, Malaysia (Reuters) -Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's military government on Sunday its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority,

Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 when its military overthrew the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.