BANGKOK - It's been some time since Asean meetings involved such high stakes. On Saturday (April 24) - some 12 weeks after Myanmar's military seized power from a civilian government - the 10-nation bloc took a first step towards tackling an impasse that threatens to unravel decades of regional progress.

In a relatively small meeting in Jakarta that lasted for about three hours, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing justified his Feb 1 coup and gave his version of the upheavals in his country since then. He then listened as leaders of other Asean member states implored him to stop the violence, launch a dialogue, and open the country to a special envoy and delegation, as well as humanitarian aid.