Leaders from the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Jakarta for the annual summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations. Normally, these meetings focus on trade and economics.
This time round, however, the summit was concerned with the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand which has erupted into bloody skirmishes over the past two months.
But alarmingly, the military regime in Myanmar is renewing its efforts to take over the rotating chair of the Asean group.
In 2005, Myanmar was passed over for the rotating chair because of its deplorable record on human rights and the suppression of its people. It now wants to head the group in 2014.
The reality is that if Asean wants to be credible, the generals in Myanmar cannot lead it.
The recent election in Myanmar was a sham, window dressing on repression. Asean should not lend credibility to the junta.
