ASEAN will remain constrained by internal divisions

Significance

Other key events it hosted last week included the 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (EAS FMM) and the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on July 27. ASEAN and its top dialogue partners discussed the conflict in Myanmar and the South China Sea dispute, among other things.

Impacts

• ASEAN members will come under pressure to probe financial institutions suspected of facilitating arms supplies to Myanmar.
• The ASEAN Coast Guard Forum may prove an increasingly useful platform for information-sharing and cooperation on maritime issues.
• Several regional states will boost security ties with Japan and India.