Southeast Asian top diplomats on Saturday condemned violence in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war and urged for “practical” means to defuse rising tensions in the South China Sea during the last of the three-day regional talks with allies including the U.S., Russia and China. Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith of Laos, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), hailed dialogue partners for “frank, candid and constructive exchanges” on key issues revolving around regional security. The weekend talks in the Laotian capital were dominated by the increasingly violent and destabilizing civil war in ASEAN-member Myanmar as well as maritime disputes of some of the bloc members with China, which have led to direct confrontations that many worry could lead to broader conflict.Read More