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Protecting human rights in Myanmar: Mission (not) impossible
Human rights issues in Myanmar would be placed among Indonesia’s top priorities during its membership of the Human Rights Council starting next year, if elected.
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Cooling down: Rohingya refugees bathe on Feb. 24 at a temporary shelter in Ladong, Aceh. At least 69 Rohingya refugees landed on Indonesia's west coast on Feb. 16, 2023, in a wooden boat, an official said. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
M
any people doubted the effectiveness of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC) to put an end to the Myanmar crisis when it was adopted by ASEAN in April 2021.
It is completely understandable, mostly because everyone was aware of the complexity of the issue, which is rooted deeply in the nexus of political, legal, security, economic and human rights issues in Myanmar.
Yet, this year, Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship has given hope that the regional group’s mission to bring Myanmar out of the crisis is not impossible.
Recently, leaders from the region – except Myanmar – attended the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta and marked another milestone that could shape the future of Myanmar. Under Indonesia's leadership, the ASEAN leaders reached a consensus to continue upholding the 5PC as the cornerstone of their approach to the crisis.
They agreed to maintain Myanmar's non-political representation at the ASEAN Summit and ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, and to defer the 2026 rotating ASEAN chairmanship from Myanmar to the Philippines.
This decision carries profound implications and provides answers to the international community, which has been apprehensive about ASEAN's next steps regarding the crisis.
Such a sentiment resonated strongly among the international community, particularly in Geneva, Switzerland, home to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. All eyes have been on Indonesia as the ASEAN chair throughout this year to see how the country manages to lead the regional bloc in rectifying the deterioraton of human rights in Myanmar.
