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Indonesia calls for Myanmar-led dialogue on crisis
ASEAN leaders have shored up a "five-point consensus" on the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar following a meeting with coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.
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ASEAN leaders take part in a meeting to discuss the situation in Myanmar at the bloc's secretariat building in Jakarta on Saturday. (Handout/Agus Suparto/Indonesian Presidential Palace via REUTERS)
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ndonesia's top diplomat reiterated the importance of a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led dialogue on Sunday, a day after ASEAN leaders shored up a "five-point consensus" on the political and humanitarian crisis in the country following a meeting with coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Southeast Asia's leaders demanded the immediate cessation of violence, the start of constructive dialogue and access to humanitarian assistance in ASEAN's first in-person summit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, exceeding expectations and giving credence to an organization often accused of aiming for the bare minimum of results.
The leaders met "as a family" and agreed to have current ASEAN chair Brunei appoint a special envoy for Myanmar, who will be assisted by ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi in mediating dialogue among all parties concerned in Myanmar.
After the meeting, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he also demanded an immediate return to democracy, peace and stability in Myanmar and that the will of the people had to be a priority.
“An inclusive dialogue process must begin [and] political prisoners must be released,” he said in a statement that was echoed in separate statements by the leaders of Singapore and Malaysia.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi reiterated the President's call the following morning, insisting that any constructive dialogue had to also involve those currently detained by Myanmar's military.
“Ideally, if we have dialogue it has to be an inclusive dialogue that is Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led,” Retno said in a debriefing interview on Sunday.
