ASEAN foreign ministers meet under shadow of Myanmar crisis

By NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering in Indonesia for talks bound to be dominated by the deteriorating situation in Myanmar despite an agenda focused on food and energy security and cooperation in finance and health. Myanmar belongs to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the meetings are being held without Myanmar’s foreign minister. The forced absence is fallout from Myanmar’s lack of cooperation in implementing a five-step agreement with ASEAN to try to resolve the crisis. Indonesia is the chair of ASEAN this year. Its foreign minister said Indonesia would ensure the focus is on the development of the regional bloc as a community and that the issue of Myanmar will not be allowed to hold the bloc hostage.