JAKARTA, 20 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday ASEAN bloc's secretariat said, Southeast Asian countries will discuss the crisis in Myanmar at a summit in Jakarta on Saturday.

The summit will be held after the European Union imposed its toughest sanctions yet on the junta that seized power there on 1 February.

The summit would take place at its Jakarta headquarters on Saturday under strict health and security protocols due to the pandemic, confirming an earlier advisory, Romeo Jr. Abad Arca assistant director of the community relations division of the ASEAN Secretariat, said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying to find a way to guide fellow member Myanmar out of the bloody turmoil that has followed the military coup against an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's military has shown little willingness to engage with its neighbors and no sign of wanting to talk to members of the government it ousted.

On Friday, pro-democracy politicians including ousted members of parliament from Suu Kyi's party announced the formation of a National Unity Government (NUG).

It includes Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup, as well as leaders of the pro-democracy protests and ethnic minorities.

However, it is the legitimate authority and has called for international recognition and an invitation to the ASEAN meeting in Min Aung Hlaing's place, says NUG.