12 April 2026 By Mon Lay
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has sparked outrage across social media after the regional bloc posted a lighthearted feature on traditional Myanmar snacks while the country remains gripped by a brutal and worsening civil conflict.
On Sunday, as Myanmar prepared for its traditional New Year festival, Thingyan, the official ASEAN Facebook page highlighted “Mont Lone Yay Paw”—a popular sticky rice ball—praising it as a symbol of “unity and communal spirit.”
The post was met with immediate and fierce criticism from Myanmar citizens and political observers, who argue that the bloc is prioritising superficial cultural outreach over its failed diplomatic efforts to curb the military junta’s violence.
“Our people are shedding blood every day, and ASEAN chooses to look the other way while promoting snacks,” a 30-year-old Myanmar national told MPA. “We want to know when they will actually implement the Five-Point Consensus. This feels like they are mocking our suffering with pretty pictures on a screen.”
The 10-member bloc has been the lead diplomatic mediator since the 2021 military coup. However, five years on, its peace plan—the Five-Point Consensus—remains largely unimplemented. Despite repeated calls for an immediate end to violence, the military junta has ramped up airstrikes on civilian areas and continues to carry out mass arrests.
Critics point out that while the bloc praises the “unity” represented by the traditional New Year snack, the regional body itself remains deeply divided. Some member states continue to maintain close ties with the military leadership in Naypyidaw, undermining the bloc’s collective pressure.
or the millions of displaced people in Myanmar, the upcoming holiday holds little joy. “Cultural celebrations are fine in normal times,” a political analyst noted. “But when an entire population is facing a humanitarian catastrophe, these posts come across as tone-deaf and a deliberate distraction from the bloc’s political paralysis.”
ASEAN’s cultural promotion is being seen by many as a facade of normalcy. While the junta prepares state-sponsored festivities to project stability, the reality in rural heartlands is one of scorched villages and desperate flight.
As the new year approaches, the message from the Myanmar public to the regional leaders in Jakarta is clear: they are seeking concrete action and the restoration of democracy, not recipes and holiday greetings.
