ASEAN defence chiefs call for an end to fighting in Gaza; but struggle to address Myanmar violence

The 10-nation ASEAN includes Myanmar, but its Defence Minister was again barred from attending this week’s meetings due to the military government’s failure to comply with a five-point peace plan drafted to ease the violence. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday arrived at the venue of the10th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta. According to a Defence Ministry release, “The ADMM-Plus progresses practical cooperation amongst member countries through seven Experts Working Groups (EWGs) namely Maritime Security, Military Medicine, Cyber Security, Peacekeeping Operations, Counter Terrorism, Humanitarian Mine Action and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR).”