Blinken says ‘we must press’ Myanmar junta to stop violence, return to democracy

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (not pictured) during the US Ministerial Strategic Dialogue on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta on July 14, 2023. (Photo by Dita Alangkara / POOL / AFP)

Jakarta: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian ministers Friday that Washington and regional states must pressure Myanmar’s ruling junta to put down its arms and return to democratic rule.
“In Myanmar, we must press the military regime to stop the violence, to implement ASEAN’s five-point consensus, to support a return to democratic governance,” he told Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers ahead of talks in Jakarta.