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ASEAN needs an emergency meeting on Myanmar, a failed state in waiting
Reports have it that resistance groups in Myanmar are now intensifying their attacks on the military, which could hand the junta’s army a defeat.
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Up in arms: Members of the Loikaw Local People's Defense Force (PDF) prepare to go to the front line near Loikaw in Myanmar's eastern Kayah state on Nov. 28, 2023 to battle the Myanmar army. (AFP)
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fter hosting a three-day meeting with key non-junta parties in Jakarta last week, the Office of the Special Envoy Engagements with Myanmar Stakeholders at the Foreign Ministry should have obtained a complete and up-to-date picture of the civil war in Myanmar, especially the reported demoralization of the junta regime soldiers. However, the meeting will be a waste of time if no action follows.
"As a fellow member of ASEAN, Indonesia is committed to continuing to help the people of Myanmar find a comprehensive political solution for durable peace and stability in Myanmar," said Ambassador Ngurah Swajaya from the Office of the Special Envoy after the Nov. 20-22 gathering.
Indonesia still has about one month to realize such a commitment before Laos takes over the ASEAN chairmanship in January 2024.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi are now focusing on the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), but this does not mean the President can ignore the Myanmar issue. He can communicate with other ASEAN leaders when they meet in Dubai for COP28.
Reports have it that resistance groups in Myanmar are now intensifying their attacks on the military, which could hand the junta’s army a defeat. A victory for the rebels, however, may create a new power struggle, at the expense of the Myanmar people. The opposition groups are actually divided; they have joined forces to fight a common enemy, the junta government.
According to media reports, powerful armed ethnic militias have joined with resistance forces in recent weeks to mount major new offensives with unprecedented coordination, exposing the limits of the profoundly unpopular junta's capabilities as it loses strategic border towns, critical military positions, and vital trade routes at a scale not seen in decades.
Rebels claimed widespread victories, including four border crossings in the northern part of Shan state, and the military government acknowledged soon after fighting began that it had lost three towns.
