Leaders of Southeast Asian countries gather in Jakarta on Saturday April 24 for a crisis meeting on Burma in the presence of Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader who carried out a bloody crackdown with more than 700 dead since his takeover of power.  

The Burmese general landed in the Indonesian capital for his first overseas trip since Burmese forces confiscated power and placed civilian head of government Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest, Indonesian authorities have confirmed.  

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries must address the Burmese crisis, which has worsened since the February 1 military coup and threatens to destabilize the region.  

Mass protests against the coup have been bloodily suppressed in Burma and around 250,000 people have fled the unrest, according to a UN special rapporteur.   

"We hope that the meeting of ASEAN leaders (...) will lead to an agreement on the best measures for the Burmese people to help Burma out of this delicate situation," Retno Marsudi said Friday evening , the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs who met with several counterparts this week. 

On Saturday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and the Sultan of Brunei, the country which currently presides over Asean, must be joined by the leaders of most of the 10 nations of the organization which also includes Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia. , Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos. 

The leaders of Thailand, the Philippines and Laos have apologized and will be represented by ministers.

The meeting is closed to the media and small demonstrations have been dispersed around the ASEAN secretariat, placed under high security. 

Protests against the army

The announced arrival of the Burmese general triggered the anger of human rights defenders and opponents of the junta.

"Meetings which exclude the Burmese people but include the chief murderer Min Aung Hlaing (...) will not provide a solution," protested in a statement the Burmese shadow government, set up by the opposition, which does not 'was not invited by Asean. 

 "The crisis unleashed by the bloodthirsty and remorseful Burmese army has engulfed the country and will cause serious shocks, including humanitarian shocks, in the entire region," Amnesty International warned in a statement.

The organization called on the Indonesian authorities to take legal action against General Min Aung Hlaing and other members of the junta who are traveling to Jakarta. 

Several personalities have called on Asean to expel Burma.

But the organization, based on consensus and non-interference should not announce such a drastic measure.

Analysts don't expect big announcements but see the meeting as a way to bring the Burmese junta to the negotiating table. 

"We have to be realistic. I don't think the summit will lead to a comprehensive plan on how to get Burma out of the crisis," said Mustafa Izzuddin, international affairs specialist at Solaris Strategies in Singapore. 

"But I think rather that this will start the conversation and maybe determine the parameters for a resolution to be found." 

As the European Union and Washington have stepped up sanctions against Burma to put pressure on the junta, Asean is unlikely to take such a firm stance, analysts say. 

The United Nations Special Envoy for Burma, Christine Schraner Burgener, is also in Jakarta for talks on the sidelines of the summit. 

"This summit is a real test for the credibility of ASEAN not only in the region but outside", observed Mustafa Izzuddin. 

With AFP 

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