In the year following the coup in Myanmar which unseated Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and then State Counsellor (a position equivalent to prime minister), the country's military has continued to pursue a policy of violence against detractors, leaving the world aghast. It has also left Asean in a quandary over how to handle the situation in a manner befitting its aspirations for growth, future prosperity and influence on the world stage.
Throughout its 54-year existence as a regional bloc, there have been missteps on what has largely been a journey of ascent, but now, Asean finally appears to be on the brink of not only a seat at the top table of intergovernmental politics but also a transformative economic moment.
