Leaders of Southeast Asian countries are scheduled to meet in Cambodia for ASEAN's annual summits, which will kick off on Friday in the capital Phnom Penh. Related meetings will be held through Sunday.

The leaders' discussions are expected to include the situation in Myanmar, which has worsened in recent months.

ASEAN has been attempting to engage with the country's junta through a "Five-Point Consensus," calling for an immediate end to hostilities and for a special envoy to mediate among relevant parties. The plan has not yet received a satisfactory response from Myanmar.

The Cambodian government has said it is willing to help solve the problem, though it acknowledges the difficulties.

Spokesperson Phay Siphan said, "Whatever the efforts of Cambodia, as the rotating chair, we want to be able to implement the five points. It is the position of ASEAN. However, it is up to Myanmar to decide on its own."

An expert on ASEAN based in Thailand said the Myanmar deadlock has deepened the rift among ASEAN nations, with some members supporting tougher measures on the Myanmar military.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Professor at the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said, "ASEAN is being taken advantage of by the Myanmar military and ASEAN has no answer for it. This has undermined the ASEAN credibility. It also undermined ASEAN unity further."

He suggests ASEAN's founding member nations should take more of a lead in decision-making, and come up with a flexible solution.

In the days ahead, world leaders such as US president Joe Biden and Japan's Kishida Fumio will join talks on the sidelines with ASEAN leaders. They are likely to discuss topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US-China tensions.

The ASEAN region will host several major international meetings over the next week, including a G20 summit meeting in Indonesia and an APEC summit in Thailand. Bilateral meetings with leaders of world powers are also expected to take place.