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Indonesia calls for transparent regional Myanmar response as patience grows thin
The current chair for ASEAN and the bloc's secretary-general – both from Brunei – appeared to commit a diplomatic faux-pas during their visit to the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw for talks with the junta, sparking strong criticism.
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This handout from the Myanmar News Agency (MNA) taken and released on June 4 shows Myanmar armed forces chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (right) meeting with Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof (left) in Naypyidaw. (AFP/Myanmar News Agency/-)
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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 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.
Read also: Half-hearted ASEAN
