Myanmar remains the scene of an unending crisis. More than 6000 civilians killed, 20,000 political prisoners, and more than 3 million internally displaced persons represent the human cost of a war waged by the military junta against its own people in the four years since the February 2021 coup d’état. But the regional effects are also being felt as a consequence of ASEAN’s inertia, an organisation paralysed by structural constraints and a diplomatic culture that prioritises stability over justice, where the principle of non-interference has become a shield for autocrats.
The principle of non-interference, a cornerstone of ASEAN, was conceived in a historical context where member…