AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian ministers Friday that Washington and regional states must pressure Myanmar's ruling junta to put down its arms and return to democratic rule.

Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent and ending the country's brief democratic experiment.

"In Myanmar, we must press the military regime to stop the violence, to implement ASEAN's five-point consensus, to support a return to democratic governance," he told Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers ahead of talks in Jakarta.

This week's ASEAN meeting has been dominated by the crisis, which has left the bloc divided about how and whether it should re-engage with Myanmar's junta rulers.

They have been barred from ASEAN's high-level meetings but Thailand hosted the junta's foreign minister last month for controversial "informal talks" that further split the bloc.

The 10-member group has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis as it tries to form a united position on the country.

In a joint communique issued late Thursday, the bloc condemned violence on all sides and reiterated a five-point peace plan largely ignored by the junta should remain the basis of engagement.

But the meeting was dealt a surprise on Wednesday when Thailand's foreign minister disclosed he met with Myanmar's ousted democracy leader Suu Kyi on his own on Sunday in the country's capital Naypyidaw and said she was in "good health".

AFP