00:00ASEAN may face significant challenges in maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and
00:07the broader Indo-Pacific as tensions between the U.S. and China escalate.
00:13Joel Ng of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore said the biggest challenge for
00:17ASEAN is that its external partners may not be interested in talking with one another
00:23to resolve their disputes.
00:25Ng said the overriding concern is that a lack of discussion and cooperation may lead
00:30to conflicts spilling over into and destabilizing Southeast Asia.
00:35Meanwhile, Awang Azman Pawi of University Malaya said the Myanmar crisis is one of the
00:40biggest challenges for ASEAN this year.
00:43He said Malaysia could leverage its criticism of the country's military junta to call for
00:48the establishment of humanitarian corridors.
00:52However, Awang Azman expects ASEAN's non-interference policy to limit Malaysia's actions unless
00:58a consensus for a stronger stance is achieved, but said broader international involvement
01:03over the issue remains unlikely.
01:06Ng said ASEAN leaders must now come up with new ways to either implement the five-point
01:11consensus or develop resolutions that go beyond the consensus.
01:16Natasha Biest, FMT News.
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