Indonesia's Approach In Resolving Myanmar Crisis Receives Stakeholders Appreciation

By V. Sankara

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Indonesia's approach in its role as the current ASEAN chair to address the political crisis in Myanmar has garnered appreciation from key stakeholders in the junta-ruled country.

Moe Thuzar, Fellow and Coordinator of the Myanmar Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore said this to BERNAMA at the 36th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) themed ‘ An Age of Strategic Uncertainty’ here.

Thuzar who was also a panelist at the plenary session titled ‘Southeast Asia: Domestic developments, regional ramifications’ said Indonesia as the ASEAN chair has embarked on a novel strategy of engagement by involving all relevant parties, including the State Administration Council (SAC) as emphasized by Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

“Compared to the two previous ASEAN chair (Brunei in 2021 and Cambodia in 2022), Indonesia did something new (in its effort to resolve the crisis in Myanmar) by engaging with all relevant stakeholders including SAC...this is important as there are so many voices unheard in Myanmar and that is the value of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship,” she said.

In line with the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), Retno announced her intention to lead an office of the Special Envoy to Myanmar to engage with all stakeholders to address the post-coup crisis in the ASEAN member state.

On Feb 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, abruptly halting the country’s fragile transition towards democracy.

It justified the coup by alleging widespread fraud in the 2020 election – which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won by a landslide. Independent observers have rejected such claims.

The 5PC, a peace plan agreed upon between ASEAN leaders and Senior General Min Aung Hlain are an immediate end to violence, holding dialogue among all parties, appointment of a special envoy, allowing humanitarian assistance by ASEAN and allowing an ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar to meet with all parties.

Thuzar also commended Indonesia's efforts towards the Rohingya community, noting that Retno initiated a project in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to facilitate a humanitarian response within the ASEAN framework, targeting the marginalised Rohingya population.

-- BERNAMA