14-7-2023 (JAKARTA) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to exert pressure on Myanmar’s military regime to put an end to the violence. During a series of meetings with ASEAN foreign ministers in Jakarta on Friday (Jul 14), Blinken emphasized the need to implement ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus and support the restoration of democratic governance in Myanmar.
As the current rotating chair of ASEAN, Indonesia hosted the annual meeting where Blinken conveyed the importance of upholding the Five Point Consensus, which was adopted by ASEAN leaders in April 2021 as a means to address the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar.
Additionally, Blinken announced that the US would allocate over US$74 million in humanitarian aid to the region, with nearly US$61 million specifically dedicated to supporting the Rohingya people who have been displaced due to the violence in Myanmar. Since the military coup in early 2021, which ousted the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, more than 1.4 million individuals have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations.
In his address, Blinken also emphasized the importance of working towards lasting peace in Ukraine, stating that the conflict violates the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter. He highlighted the negative repercussions of the war, such as exacerbating food and energy crises and affecting not only Ukrainians but also people in the wider region.
Blinken underscored the significance of the relationship between the US and ASEAN in the context of engagement in the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing a shared vision of a free, open, prosperous, secure, connected, and resilient region. He described this vision as one where countries have the freedom to choose their own path and partners, problems are resolved through open dialogue rather than coercion, and rules are established transparently and applied fairly.
During his address, Blinken also touched upon other regional issues, including tensions in the South and East China Seas and North Korea’s recent nuclear test. He stressed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation in these areas, as well as maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Recent clashes between China and Taiwan in the East China Sea have contributed to heightened tensions between the US and China. The South China Sea remains a contentious issue, with China claiming a significant portion of the territory along with ASEAN member states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. ASEAN foreign ministers and China’s top diplomat met in Jakarta earlier to accelerate negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea.
During the 30th opening session of ASEAN’s Regional Forum (ARF), Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, addressed the ongoing challenges in the region. She highlighted the existence of potential flashpoints and the complexity arising from non-traditional security challenges, such as terrorism, human trafficking, and maritime piracy. Marsudi emphasized the need to transform a trust deficit into strategic trust by promoting self-restraint and the non-use of force as fundamental norms.
The ARF consists of 27 countries, including the US, China, and Russia, and focuses on addressing security issues in the region.
