4-9-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi underscored Indonesia’s commitment to fostering unity within ASEAN to address the ongoing Myanmar crisis during its chairmanship of the organization this year.
Minister Marsudi made this declaration while inaugurating the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) held in Jakarta on Monday.
Indonesia is presiding over the ASEAN chairmanship in 2023 under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.” The overarching vision of Indonesia’s chairmanship is to build a resilient, adaptable, and inclusive ASEAN.
Minister Marsudi highlighted the imperative of ensuring a peaceful and enduring resolution to the Myanmar issue, stating, “ASEAN can only move forward with full vigour if we can secure a peaceful and lasting solution in Myanmar.”
As mandated by ASEAN leaders, foreign ministers are tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Five Point Consensus (5PC) and formulating recommendations for the leaders’ deliberations.
The 5PC, agreed upon in April 2021 by ASEAN leaders and Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, includes provisions for an immediate cessation of violence and the provision of humanitarian aid to Myanmar.
However, since its adoption, the implementation of the consensus, intended as a peace plan for resolving the Myanmar crisis, has seen limited progress. ASEAN has assessed that there is a lack of willingness on the part of Myanmar’s junta to adhere to the consensus.
During Indonesia’s chairmanship, the country has engaged in more than 110 interactions with various stakeholders in Myanmar, including the National Unity Government (NUG), the State Administration Council, ethnic resistance organizations (EROs), and civil society, with the aim of facilitating inclusive dialogues.
These efforts have continued to reference the 5PC as the principal framework for ASEAN in addressing the Myanmar crisis.
“5PC remains the primary reference, and the focus of ASEAN should continue to be its implementation,” Marsudi emphasized during the previous AMM meeting in July.
Minister Marsudi’s insistence on the implementation of the 5PC comes in the wake of a meeting convened by Thailand in June, where representatives of Myanmar’s junta were invited. Thailand argued that engaging in dialogue with the junta was essential to safeguard its own national interests, as it shares an extensive border with Myanmar.
Myanmar’s junta had previously been excluded from various ASEAN meetings due to their failure to adhere to the consensus and their continued perpetration of violence against their citizens.
The crisis in Myanmar stemmed from a military coup on February 1, 2021, resulting in a protracted political and security crisis that has claimed thousands of lives in the country.
