At the end of the trail and at the peak of the hill, the King’s View, our eyes were regaled by the sight of towns dotted among the three fjords below us, a fine reward for our efforts.

This peaceful scenery was in contrast with the stories of peace-making endeavors, particularly concerning Myanmar, that Minister Retno shared with me along the way.

Internalizing the facts and information she shared, I felt a pang of sadness, especially in learning of the hesitation among parties to the Myanmar conflict to sit together and discuss peace.

The military junta has been in office for three years since seizing power from the civilian government in February 2021. From then on protracted conflicts have ensued and signs of peace are far from sight.

The Myanmar crisis has now been somewhat pushed onto the backburner as the attention of governments and international societies are fixated upon the war in Gaza and the sustained dehumanization of the Palestinians.

As in conflicts and wars, the first victims are the general population, who have nothing to do with the political disdain among their elites. They are far removed from political intrigues but must pay the price and become casualties when political struggles break into armed confrontation.