Tensions simmering in the South China Sea and violence in Myanmar as Laos takes over ASEAN chair

By DAVID RISING
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Simmering tensions in the South China Sea. Coordinated attacks on the military run government that seized control of Myanmar. It’s with this backdrop that Laos, the poorest country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is taking over as the bloc’s rotating chair. As foreign ministers gather this weekend in Luang Prabang for this year’s first top-level meetings, many are pessimistic that ASEAN’s biggest challenges will fester and grow.