This afternoon, the leaders of ASEAN member countries will meet to discuss the crisis in Myanmar. There is a strong urge for violence and the use of weapons that led to casualties to be put to a stop.
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KRIS MADA/LAKSANA AGUNG SANTOSA/ANITA YOSSIHARA
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AP PHOTO/TATAN SYUFLANA
Flags of member countries fly at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 22, 2021. Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations meet Saturday, April 24, in Jakarta to consider plans to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict that has wracked Myanmar since its military launched a deadly crackdown on opponents to its seizure of power in February.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN will hold a summit in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon (24/4/2021) to discuss the Myanmar crisis. The meeting without the presence of the three leaders of ASEAN member countries, namely Thailand, Laos and the Philippines, is expected to reach an agreement on steps to help Myanmar get out of crisis and restore stability in the country after the military coup on 1 February.
The summit, which this time is called the ASEAN Leaders Meeting (ALM), was originally an Indonesian initiative as well as a follow-up to talks between President Joko Widodo and the King of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah. "The ASEAN Leaders Meeting is the first in-person meeting of ASEAN leaders during the pandemic. The commitment of the leaders to meet physically is a reflection of ASEAN\'s deep concern over the situation in Myanmar and ASEAN\'s determination to help Myanmar get out of this crisis," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi in a press statement at Bogor Palace in West Java on Friday (23/4).
The two leaders hope that the ALM leaders\' meeting can produce the best agreement for the Myanmar people.
After accompanying President Jokowi in a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phm Minh Chính at the palace, Retno said the two ASEAN leaders were concerned about the situation in Myanmar. "The Vietnamese PM said that violence must immediately stop in Myanmar," said Retno.
Meanwhile, President Jokowi, said Retno, again emphasized that Indonesia\'s position had not changed, saying that the safety and welfare of Myanmar people were a priority. "Violence and the use of weapons must be stopped so that the number of victims does not increase. An inclusive dialogue must be carried out so that democracy, security, peace and stability can be returned to Myanmar quickly," said Retno.
"The two leaders hope that the ALM leaders\' meeting can produce the best agreement for the Myanmar people. The President emphasized that this ALM was solely carried out or organized for the benefit of the Myanmar people," he added.
According to Retno, the commitment of ASEAN leaders to meet in-person is a reflection of the deep concern over the situation in Myanmar and ASEAN\'s determination to help Myanmar out of the current crisis situation.
BIRO PERS MEDIA DAN INFORMASI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
President Joko Widodo and Vietnam Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on the veranda of the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Friday (23/04/2021). The two leaders of the country discussed bilateral cooperative relations and also alludes to the Myanmar crisis.
Hope
Lina Alexandra, a senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said there were three main issues that ASEAN should emphasize in Saturday’s meeting. "First, stop violence against civilians," said Lina.
Next, it is hoped that ASEAN will be able to convince the State Administration Council (SAC), the government formed by the military junta, to open humanitarian access. Analysis of the World Food Program, finds up to 3.4 million Myanmar citizens will experience food shortages in the next six months.
Apart from that, he continued, ASEAN also needs to show all parties in Myanmar that the resolution of the country\'s problems depends on the parties in Myanmar. ASEAN can only mediate and provide space for dialogue.
The same thing was conveyed by an analyst from the Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Thomas Daniel. Solutions and reconciliation in Myanmar must be carried out and directed from internal parties of Myanmar. "Due to the limitations of its framework, ASEAN can only facilitate it," he said.
Meanwhile, from Myanmar, it was reported that demonstrators in Yangon urged ASEAN to "stand with the people of Myanmar".
