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Commentary: Indonesia an (unlikely) honest broker for Rohingya
Condemning and humiliating Myanmar could easily backfire on Indonesia, given the evidence of rising intolerance here.
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Humanitarian crisis: A protester tears up a picture of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally in front of Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to protest the actions of Myanmar’s army and the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned on Sept. 1 of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in western Myanmar and urged security forces to show restraint after hundreds were reported to have been killed in communal violence. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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or the first time since he came to power in October 2014, the usually inward-looking President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has launched a weighty diplomatic offensive with his decision to engage himself in ending the gross human rights violations against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
The rewards are evident: He will boost his reputation abroad and at home voters will be impressed by his commitment to defend Muslims, which is essential with the election less than two years ahead.
The President sent Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi to Myanmar to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar military chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and other senior Myanmar officials. They warmly greeted Retno and sent strong signals that they welcomed Jokowi’s peace-mediation efforts, at least on the surface.
The President is clearly confident that Indonesia has strong leverage with Myanmar, because the two countries share many historical similarities. The two nations endured decades of military rule, prolonged inter-ethnic conflicts and the real danger of national disintegration. Indonesia played a significant role in convincing the Myanmar generals to end their nearly five-decade-long dictatorship and to hand over power to civilians.
