Indonesia has made progress on humanitarian aid in Myanmar since becoming ASEAN Chair: Foreign Minister

JAKARTA: Indonesia has made some progress on the provision of humanitarian aid in the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, since taking over as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Jakarta has also continued to call for an end to the bloodshed and the use of force, and voiced concerns over the growing number of civilian casualties, she told the media on Wednesday (Apr 5).

Since taking the helm of the regional bloc, Indonesia has in the past three months facilitated the reopening of communication and consultation with various “stakeholders” on humanitarian aid to Myanmar, said Madam Marsudi.

This will allow the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) to provide aid to those who require it in Myanmar, regardless of their ethnic background, religion or political orientation.

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Providing aid through the AHA Centre is one of the items on the Five-Point Consensus.

Mdm Marsudi said the development was a breakthrough.

“With this Indonesian facilitation, the AHA Center has succeeded in conducting consultations with several stakeholders, which previously could not be done,” she said.

The minister, however, did not specify who these stakeholders were.

MYANMAR CRISIS

Indonesia inherited the immense task of resolving the political challenges engulfing Myanmar when it took over the ASEAN chairmanship from Cambodia earlier this year.

Observers have expressed hopes that Jakarta would pull its weight and engage Myanmar’s military junta with a firmer hand than past chairs of the regional bloc.

Myanmar’s political crisis has intensified since the army seized power from the elected government of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and used lethal force to suppress widespread opposition to the coup.

The United Nations said more than 1.4 million people have been internally displaced, while the World Bank estimates about 40 per cent of Myanmar’s 55 million citizens live below the poverty line.  

Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled to neighbouring ASEAN countries.

INDONESIA’S PEACE EFFORTS

Mdm Marsudi said Jakarta is working on engaging with Myanmar to implement the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed upon by all leaders of the regional bloc, including Myanmar’s military leaders.

The agreement calls for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue on seeking a peaceful resolution, and the provision of humanitarian aid, among other items.

Indonesia also shared developments regarding Myanmar before the UN Security Council last month.

Other efforts outlined by the foreign minister included strengthening the solidity of ASEAN's position in dealing with Myanmar and conducting engagements with various stakeholders with the goal of encouraging an inclusive national dialogue.

Mdm Retno also outlined that Indonesia, for the first time as Chair of ASEAN, has also held meetings with a number of special envoys, including those from the UN Secretary General, as well as from Myanmar and other countries. She did not name which countries.

She said that while Jakarta will continue to build bridges on all sides in the crisis, more has to be done for Myanmar to achieve a sustainable peace.

INDONESIA AS ASEAN CHAIR

Indonesia assumed leadership of the bloc with the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” focusing on three strategic pillars – rebuilding regional growth, accelerating digital economy, and promoting sustainability and resilience.

Some areas of focus for the bloc under Indonesia’s chairmanship include the acceleration of negotiations on the framework and roadmap for Timor-Leste's full membership in the grouping, working towards the ASEAN 2045 vision, and the signing of a treaty making Southeast Asia a nuclear weapon-free zone, for which the process was halted in 2012.

Other items on the agenda are regional food and energy security, strengthening healthcare architecture, financial stability and digitisation of the economy and tourism.

Indonesia will also host a flagship event later this year, the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum in Jakarta on Sep 5-7, which will be carried out back-to-back with the 43rd ASEAN Summit.