Southeast Asian leaders have agreed that Myanmar will not assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, breaking from the bloc’s usual rotation system. The announcement was made during the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Indonesia in September.
Under the ASEAN Charter, the chairmanship rotates annually in alphabetical order among member states. The country holding the chair leads key summits, sets policy priorities, and coordinates regional initiatives. By confirming that the Philippines will take over the 2026 chairmanship, ASEAN has effectively sidelined Myanmar, signaling deep frustration over its ongoing political turmoil following the 2021 military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
Myanmar’s Political Crisis and ASEAN’s Dilemma
Myanmar’s removal from the 2026 leadership rotation highlights the bloc’s growing difficulty in managing the crisis. The civil war that followed
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