12-7-2023 (JAKARTA) The implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) should remain the focus of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) efforts to resolve Myanmar’s political crisis, said Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday.
Addressing the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Marsudi said ASEAN leaders agreed to the 5PC during a summit in Jakarta last April as a framework to help Myanmar exit its political crisis.
“The 5PC is the main reference point, and ASEAN should focus on implementing it,” she said.
Marsudi said Indonesia, as ASEAN chair, has had 110 engagements with stakeholders involved in Myanmar’s crisis over the past seven months. However, she described the efforts as “very complex and not easy at all”.
While dialogues and engagements pave the way for a political solution, Marsudi expressed concern over the continuing and increasing violence in Myanmar. She strongly condemned the use of force and violence, urging all stakeholders to renounce violence to build trust.
Marsudi hopes ASEAN’s coordinating center for humanitarian assistance will be granted further access to Myanmar to deliver aid.
The foreign ministers’ meeting comes as critics question ASEAN’s effectiveness in responding to the deepening Myanmar conflict. The meeting will also see the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum with Blinken and Lavrov in attendance.
Marsudi stressed ASEAN centrality, saying:” ASEAN must remain in the driver’s seat in navigating geopolitical challenges through inclusive platforms where all regional players sit and talk. ASEAN believes in inclusivity, dialogue and win-win collaboration.”
