secure a Ukraine ceasefire

Malaysia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN.Mohamad earlier said the bloc has to step up efforts as Myanmar’s problems had spilled over borders, with a growing number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring ASEAN nations and rising trans-border crime.

Malaysia’s efforts now focus on de-escalation of violence and greater access to humanitarian aid, but he said plans for political dialogue between the conflicting parties would be challenging due to a “trust deficit”.Senior General Min Aung Hlaing-led military government initially declared a truce in the many-sided civil war after ain late March killed nearly 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The truce has been extended before, although conflict monitors say fighting has continued, including regular military government air attacks.In April, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and urged him to respect the truce.

Anwar said after the meeting that ASEAN had expressed “concern” and wanted to slowly build consensus to ensure “fair and free elections” – something analysts have said will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

ASEAN’s longstanding policy of noninterference in the domestic affairs of its member states has also hampered it from helping resolve the conflict.COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory, confirmed on Friday that 107 trucks had entered the enclave the previous day, loaded with flour, medicine and equipment.

However, aid agencies and others have condemned Israel’s policy to allow only minimal volumes of aid into Gaza, which the Israeli military has been blockading for close to three months.They insist that the supplies are nowhere near enough for the millions trapped in the territory, and add that even the small amounts making it in are not making it to people due to Israeli attacks and looting.

The shipments follow Israel’s announcement on Sunday that it would permithumanitarian aid into the territory for the first time since implementing a total blockade in early March.