US to send delegation to Southeast Asia to discuss Myanmar crisis

The delegation led by State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who serves as a policy adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will also make a stop in Japan on its way home to discuss Myanmar and challenges related to the Indo-Pacific, Kyodo News reported. 

During the trip to Southeast Asia, the officials will seek to expand cooperation with US allies and partners as well as to reinforce the role that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plays in regional stability, the State Department said in a press release. On the situation in Myanmar, they will reiterate the U.S. commitment to the people there and underscore that the international community, including neighboring countries, has an "urgent responsibility" to pressure the military regime to cease violence, release political prisoners and restore Myanmar to the path of democracy, it said. 

In Thailand, Chollet and the team will also discuss cooperation on cross-border humanitarian aid for Myanmar. The military seized power in Myanmar on February 1, imprisoning the nation's de facto ruler Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint and prompting mass protests demanding a return to civilian rule.