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RI demands transparent response on Myanmar
ASEAN mission appeared to legitimize regime during visit
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ndonesia is calling for a more transparent response to the bloody crisis in Myanmar, as ASEAN’s current chair and its secretary-general visited the conflict-torn country six weeks after they were tasked with fulfilling a mandate from the region’s leaders.
ASEAN leaders met for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta on April 24 to discuss efforts to resolve the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected civilian government on Feb. 1.
They agreed to a five-point consensus demanding the military junta stop all forms of violence and de-escalate tensions, as well as for this year’s ASEAN chair Brunei to appoint a special envoy to mediate talks with Myanmar’s prodemocracy groups, with assistance from ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi.
Lim, together with Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof of Brunei, visited Myanmar on Thursday and Friday and met with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw.
They briefed ASEAN foreign ministers on Monday morning on the results of their visit in an informal meeting ahead of the ASEAN-China foreign ministers’ meeting in Chongqing, China, to celebrate 30 years of relations.
During the meeting, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi stressed that the leaders’ mandate for the April consensus was very clear and that the region’s top diplomats were responsible for ensuring that the prescribed five points could be followed up immediately.
“Indonesia underlines that all implementing processes for the five points of consensus must be carried out transparently so that ASEAN unity can be maintained,” she said in a statement after Monday’s meeting in China.
Patience has been wearing thin since nine Southeast Asian leaders met in April and heralded a consensus promising an end to hostilities in Myanmar, but the junta continues to adopt a heavy-handed approach to crushing any form of dissent four months into the putsch.
As of Saturday, 847 people had been killed by the country's security forces since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group that keeps track of deaths and arrests in Myanmar.
The junta also has done little else to respect the regional consensus.
On Friday, junta-run Myawaddy TV reported the visit of the ASEAN delegates, claiming that the two sides discussed humanitarian cooperation and holding an election once the country is stable, as well as what it said were irregularities in last year's election, which led to the military intervention, Reuters reported.
In a statement published on Saturday on its website, ASEAN said the visit aimed to discuss the appointment of ASEAN’s special envoy and how the bloc could provide assistance to Myanmar, which sparked a strong response from prodemocracy groups and ASEAN pundits alike.
Criticism focused on a number of diplomatic embarrassments that the ASEAN secretary-general and chair committed, including addressing the junta leader Min Aung Hlaing as “Chairman of the State Administrative Council”, raising questions as to whether the Bruneians inadvertently legitimized Myanmar’s military regime.
“Other issues that were discussed include the appointment and the role of the special envoy of the ASEAN chair. In this regard, the chairman of the AMM [Erywan] submitted to Myanmar the nominations proposed by ASEAN member states for the special envoy of the ASEAN chair to Myanmar,” the ASEAN statement read. It did not name any of the proposed figures.
The Civil Disobedience Movement, one of the many factions fighting against the Myanmar junta’s reign, urged Indonesia’s Retno to seek solutions beyond ASEAN.
“Dear Madam @Menlu_RI, please no longer consider to go [sic] through @ASEAN. They have no political will to act nor try to understand the manipulation game that MAL [Min Aung Hlaing] is playing either. They just gave MAL another stupid photo op in NPT [Naypdyidaw],” the group tweeted using its handle, @cvdom2021.
Evan Laksmana, a senior researcher from the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), tweeted in response: “We should start thinking about non-ASEAN options to help the people of Myanmar if ASEAN isn’t willing to make tough choices.”
The junta has said for weeks that it would "give careful consideration to constructive suggestions" made by ASEAN leaders only "when the situation returns to stability in the country," stalling the process of appointment of the special envoy.
Retno, however, reiterated that the appointment could not wait any longer and that the process would have to follow clear policy guidance in accordance with the regional mandate in the consensus.
The special envoy, she said, must have access to speak with all relevant parties, which requires the commitment of the Myanmar armed forces.
“This is a mandate clearly stated in the five points of consensus, namely communicating with all parties. Without being able to communicate with everyone, it will be difficult for the special envoy to carry out their duties,” the Indonesian minister said.
Indonesia has been leading the collective efforts of a bloc split across a spectrum of political divides, with democratic countries in ASEAN voicing more concern than others.
“From open discussions, we must admit that [we] need a stronger commitment to speed up the process of implementation. Indonesia has high hopes that [fulfilling the consensus] can progress immediately after this meeting and in a transparent manner,” Retno said.
