Asean retreats are informal gatherings that allow the grouping’s top politicians to brainstorm solutions to pressing issues. The Chiang Mai retreat was significant for its context, a stalemate in the process to repatriate Rohingya refugees that has brought another looming crisis in Rakhine. The statement delivered at the Chiang Mai retreat referred to “durable solutions” to address the root cause of the conflict. The brainstorming in Chiang Mai was expected to produce measures to help push the mission forward, but no recommendations came. With all participants unwilling to venture beyond their comfort zone, the Asean retreat now fits the definition offered by Cambridge Dictionary: “Retreat (verb) to decide not to do something, or to stop believing something, because it causes too many problems.”

Source: The Nation Bangkok January 22, 2019 18:05 UTC