Leaders of Southeast Asian countries, who gathered for a summit in Indonesia, strongly denounced an attack on an aid convoy organized by the regional group for displaced individuals in Myanmar.

They urged the military regime to comply with a peace plan and stop the violence immediately. The summit was hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who emphasized the need for unity amid global economic challenges and great-power rivalry in the region.

The ASEAN is under pressure to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar following the armed attack on the convoy delivering aid to displaced villagers, which was carrying diplomats from Indonesia and Singapore. While the security team with the convoy returned fire and a vehicle was damaged, there were no injuries reported among the convoy members.

During their two-day summit in Labuan Bajo, the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strongly condemned the recent armed attack on an aid convoy that had been arranged by Indonesia for the displaced people in Myanmar.

The ASEAN leaders called for an immediate halt to violence and for the military government to adhere to a peace plan, emphasizing the need to hold the perpetrators accountable.

This comes amid the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, where the top general and his army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The ASEAN leaders expressed their deep concern about the situation and urged an end to all forms of violence, creating a safe environment for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid and inclusive national dialogues.

Indonesian officials reported that 20 of their citizens who were forced into cyber scams in Myanmar have been rescued and brought to the Thai border.

This is an added worry on top of the ongoing violence in Myanmar that ASEAN leaders discussed at their summit in Indonesia. A draft of their joint statement obtained by The Associated Press mentioned their concern about human trafficking in the region.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that over 3,450 civilians have been killed and many thousands more imprisoned by Myanmar’s military government since seizing power.

Military airstrikes killed around 100 people in April, including children, at a ceremony by opponents of army rule, which was condemned by Human Rights Watch as an “apparent war crime”. Since becoming ASEAN’s leader, Indonesia has softened its criticism of Myanmar’s military and opted for “a non-megaphone diplomacy approach” to encourage dialogue and end violence, as stated in a five-point peace plan previously negotiated with Myanmar’s top general in 2021.

ASEAN leaders plan to renew their call for self-restraint in the South China Sea, as well as raise alarm over the trafficking of Southeast Asian workers forced to commit online cryptocurrency frauds, in a post-summit communique issued by President Widodo on behalf of the leaders.

Myanmar’s military rulers have protested the move by ASEAN leaders to only invite non-political representatives to their summits, which they argue violates the bloc’s non-interference policy.