Commentary: Can Malaysia nudge ASEAN beyond non-interference to tackle the scam crisis in Myanmar?

SINGAPORE: ASEAN’s traditional non-interference doctrine has posed an acute challenge for the regional body in responding to the 2021 coup in Myanmar.

A Five-Point Consensus proposal has seen little progress, with a major obstacle that member states are prohibited from intervening in each other’s internal affairs under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a foundational pillar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This self-imposed reticence has led to accusations of ASEAN paralysis in the face of the ensuing civil war and series of humanitarian crises.

But ASEAN has also struggled to address organised crime in Myanmar, which has proliferated with the breakdown of state authority and carries serious cross-border ramifications.