Southeast Asian leaders met in Laos on Wednesday for a summit expected to seek ways address the worsening civil war in Myanmar, with Thailand calling for heightened engagement ahead of a planned election by the country's embattled military rulers.

Southeast Asian leaders are meeting at an annual forum that will focus on the civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea, two challenges that have long tested the bloc’s cred

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday the regional bloc ASEAN must play a key role in ending the protracted civil war in Myanmar, ahead of a summit of the leaders of the 10-member group in Laos this week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent the United States at summits with Asian leaders in Laos this week and expects to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China's "irresponsible" behavior in the South China Sea and Ukraine,

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is holding is annual leaders' summit in Laos this year. The world leaders will also hold talks with a representative of Myanmar's junta to try and negotiate a solution to the country's civil war.

Southeast Asian leaders met in Laos on Wednesday for a summit expected to find ways of tackling a worsening civil war in Myanmar, with Thailand set to propose a new path for a political solution after a regional peace effort made scant progress.