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‘To do nothing is not an option’: Retno
Indonesian foreign minister presses Myanmar junta to listen to people's will
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ndonesia’s top diplomat has defended the inevitability of keeping all channels of communication open in seeking solutions to the political crisis that has split Myanmar, insisting that it is an important step to ensure the “wishes of the people” are heard by the junta that seized power earlier this month.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi met with U Wunna Maung Lwin, the Myanmar coup government’s appointed foreign minister, in a three-way meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok on Wednesday, as confidence in a regional solution dimmed.
Speaking to the media upon her return, Retno said Indonesia intended to keep communication lines open with all parties in Myanmar, including the Myanmar armed forces and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), which represents ousted members of parliament.
“In these difficult conditions, communication with all parties must be carried out so that messages can be conveyed, contributions can be offered, the situation does not deteriorate and eff orts to resolve it can be made,” she told reporters in a virtual press conference.
During the meeting, Retno reiterated Indonesia’s concerns and called for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid the use of force to prevent casualties and bloodshed, while also pressing the junta representative on the importance of undertaking an inclusive transition to democracy.
She reminded the military-appointed minister that all ASEAN members including Myanmar must respect the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and open humanitarian access and visits to the civilian detainees.
The minister underlined that this communication was carried out with the intention of contributing to finding solutions for the benefit of the people. She said that “to do nothing is not an option”, and that she had also communicated intensively with the CRPH.
“The safety and welfare of the people of Myanmar are the main things that must be protected. The wishes of the Myanmar people must be heard,” Retno said.
Read also: Indonesia calls on Myanmar to resolve coup ‘dispute’ legally
Indonesia has taken the lead on a regional response by ASEAN, which has been questioned by opponents of the coup government who fear that Jakarta might back the junta’s call for fresh elections.
A Reuters report this week fanned suspicions about the ASEAN eff ort after citing sources effectively saying that Indonesia was planning to hold the coup leaders accountable to their promise to cede power after a new vote.
The Indonesian side dismissed the claims early on Wednesday as Minister Retno continued ASEAN consultations from Bangkok following an aborted visit to Myanmar. Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the country was “committed to pursuing communication with all parties in Myanmar”.
The prodemocracy camp insists the 2020 election results should stand; the military regime imposed a one-year state of emergency when it seized power on Feb. 1 over unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, in a race that it lost by a wide margin to Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy (NLD).
The coup has elicited a strong response from the people of Myanmar, with hundreds of thousands continuing to organize protests as well as a general strike to denounce the coup this week.
The prodemocracy camp continues to demand the release of civilian leader Suu Kyi despite the possibility of violent confrontation. At least three people have been killed in the protests, according to reports.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Thai Embassy in the main city of Yangon on Wednesday with signs reading: “Respect our vote” and “We voted NLD”, AFP reported, as protesters chanted “our foreign minister is Aung San Suu Kyi.”
Indonesian foreign policy scholar Dewi Fortuna Anwar said the political crisis in Myanmar could not possibly be resolved in a quick manner, nor would any decision eventually taken be able to satisfy all parties. She said that while the main objective to coax the military to return power to the civilian government remained, the task of limiting the number of people endangered in the process had become the bigger priority.
“There won’t be an ideal solution. We want a quick political solution but at the same time it cannot be a zero-sum game, which means that it will not be popular. The [civilian] government will not like it, the military will not like it, but we need to think of lasting peace,” Dewi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, pictures of Retno’s talks with the junta representative and the Thai minister circulated widely on social media on Wednesday, eliciting wide protests online by opponents of the coup.
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Lidya Christin Sinaga said the traditional ASEAN consultative approach would usually take time, but with social media users closely following developments, the bloc needed to learn how to manage the pressure on Myanmar.
Not only does ASEAN have to persuade the Myanmar armed forces to recognize the democratically elected government, it must also account for the will of the people of Myanmar who oppose fresh elections, Lidya said.
“Nowadays information can come from anywhere and with social media, it’s easy to disseminate. So it can become [counterproductive] after you’ve gone a long way but then [your eff orts] are cut off ,” she said.
Facing increasing international pressure to mediate the political crisis in Myanmar, Lidya believes that ASEAN’s consensus-building model of decision making will be put to the test.
