Nehginpao Kipgen

Malaysia’s criticism of Myanmar over the Rohingya issue has been vocal, especially in recent years.

India on November 4 decided not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade deal involving the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.

At the end of the 33rd Asean summit in Singapore on November 15, Singapore formally handed over the symbolic gavel of Asean chairmanship to Thailand, which it last held in 2009. The one-year rotating term will officially begin on January 1, 2019.

The issue of over 700,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who are currently taking shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh is undoubtedly one of the worst humanitarian crises of recent times.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on February 8 announced the start of a preliminary investigation into a complaint by a Filipino lawyer and two lawmakers which accuse President Rodrigo Duterte and his government of crimes against humanity.

The Myanmar government announced on May 31 that it will establish an independent commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations and related issues following attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Myanmar security posts in August last year.

ASEAN marked its 50th anniversary as a regional organisation last year.

The February 17th meeting was the third between Aung San Suu Kyi and military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing since the National League for Democracy (NLD)'s electoral victory in November last year.