Indonesia Pushes ASEAN Consensus on Myanmar

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has emphasized the importance of implementing ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar during a conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Jokowi received a call from the Cambodian Prime Minister on January 21, 2022, regarding the prime minister’s visit to Myanmar.

According to a written statement released by the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry here on Saturday, during the call, the President stressed that ASEAN's approach to Myanmar must be based on mutually agreed principles, especially the consensus.

He also said that Indonesia regrets that the Myanmar military did not display any commitment to implementing ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus during the Cambodian Prime Minister's visit to Myanmar.

The implementation of the consensus cannot be associated with the implementation of the Five-Point Road Map of the State Administration Council of Myanmar, he stressed.

Furthermore, President Jokowi said that the Myanmar military must provide access to the special envoy to the chairman of ASEAN so that communication can immediately be established with all related parties in the country.

Communication is crucial for encouraging an inclusive national dialogue in Myanmar, he added.

If there is still no significant progress on the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, the regional organization must maintain its decision to only allow Myanmar to be represented by non-political delegates at ASEAN meetings, the Indonesian President said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian Prime Minister proposed the formation of a troika comprising the Foreign Affairs Minister or special envoy of Cambodia, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Brunei, and the Foreign Affairs Minister of Indonesian, which will be supported by the ASEAN Secretary General.

The proposed group will be assigned to monitor the implementation of the consensus in Myanmar, he added.

Responding to the proposal, President Jokowi said that it should be discussed further by the foreign affairs ministers of all ASEAN members.

In addition, he welcomed the suggestion for a consultative meeting, which will be attended by the special envoy and Secretary General of ASEAN, representatives of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Center), Myanmar authorities, and UN agencies.

The suggested meeting aims to support the distribution of humanitarian aid without discrimination for all Myanmar people in need, he noted.

The ASEAN Five-Point Consensus includes a call for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and full restraint from all parties.

Furthermore, it advocates a constructive dialogue among all related parties for seeking a peaceful solution in the interests of the Myanmar people.

The consensus also mandates the special envoy of the ASEAN chairman to facilitate the mediation of the dialogue with the assistance of the ASEAN Secretary General.

As per the consensus, the regional organization will provide humanitarian assistance through the AHA Centre, and the ASEAN special envoy and delegation shall visit Myanmar to meet all relevant parties.

Read: Democracy Grows and then Dies in Myanmar

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