Indonesian President Joko Widodo today (Friday) called for democracy to be restored and violence to be halted in Myanmar and for Southeast Asian leaders to hold a high-level meeting to discuss the situation there.

"Indonesia calls for an immediate end to the use of violence in Myanmar to prevent further loss of lives," dpa news agency quoted the President as saying at a news conference.

He said the safety of the Myanmar people was paramount.

"I will immediately call the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam as head of ASEAN to as soon as possible hold a high-level Asean meeting to discuss the crisis in Myanmar," he said in a virtual address. Brunei is currently chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces fresh corruption charges from the ruling junta that her lawyer said Thursday were "groundless" but could ensure she would never be able to return to politics.

Roads out of Yangon were choked Friday with people fleeing the junta's deadly crackdown on anti-coup dissent, as authorities in neighbouring Thailand said they were preparing for an influx of refugees.

After a special meeting called earlier this month to discuss Myanmar's current political situation, the bloc had called on "all parties" in Myanmar to "refrain from instigating further violence".

While more than 200 protesters have been killed in firings by security forces across Myanmar, mostly in cities like Yangon, Mandalay and Dawei, over 600 other suffered serious injuries, some life-threatening or debilitating.

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