JAKARTA, April 18 — Southeast Asian foreign ministers today urged an immediate cessation of violence in border areas of Myanmar, expressing concern for the wellbeing of civilians and a necessity to pursue dialogue.

"We urge all parties for an immediate cessation of violence and to exercise utmost restraint, to uphold international humanitarian law, and to take all the necessary measures to defuse tensions and to ensure the protection and safety of all civilians,” they said in a statement from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). — Reuters