Southeast Asian leaders set for Myanmar crisis talks

"We have to be realistic here. I don't think the summit is going to bear out a full-blown plan on how to get Myanmar out of the conflict," said Mustafa Izzuddin, senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore.

"But rather I think it will start the conversation and perhaps lay the parameters as to how a resolution could be found."

United Nations special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, is expected on the sidelines of the summit.

While the EU and Washington have ramped up sanctions against Myanmar to force the military's hand, it is unlikely ASEAN would scold the coup leaders or demand Suu Kyi's release, observers said.

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"ASEAN wants to embrace (Myanmar) so it can create and safeguard peace in Southeast Asia," said Beginda Pakpahan, an international relations expert at the University of Indonesia.

"The second objective is to find a long-term solution through constructive engagement."

But the crisis engulfing Myanmar has delivered a big challenge to the future of the bloc and its consensus-driven approach.

"This summit is really a test of ASEAN's credibility not just within the region but also outside of the region," Izzuddin said.

"International eyes are on (it) to see whether the regional approach that ASEAN has taken to find a resolution in Myanmar is effective."

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