The crackdown against pro-democracy protesters in Burma represents the biggest political crisis for the Association of South East Asian Nations in a decade and comes at a sensitive time when the group is about to launch moves to promote closer integration.

The events in Burma are expected to dominate discussions at Asean’s annual meeting in Singapore in November, when the 10-member group that includes Burma is scheduled to approve its first charter meant to make Asean a more effective, rules-based organisation.