asean and the Rakhine Crisis: Balancing Non-interference, Accountability, and Strategic Interests in Responding to Atrocities in Myanmar

Abstract

asean has not collectively responded to the Rakhine crisis since 2017 from the perspective of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle and has failed to put a stop to the atrocities against the Rohingyas in Myanmar. This article argues that there is less support in the region for invoking the non-interference principle in dealing with Myanmar on the Rohingya issue even as some members have called for its relaxation and use of constructive engagement instead. As international pressure in pursuit of justice and accountability increased, so did calls from within the region for asean to do more beyond just providing humanitarian assistance to affected communities in Rakhine. Even so, asean consciously avoids pressing too hard on the issue of accountability as this could force the government and the military in Myanmar to totally disengage with asean and the international community on the Rakhine crisis, as well as push Nay Pyi Daw further into China’s embrace and thus undermine asean’s strategic interests in the region.