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ASEAN issues belated statement condemning Myanmar airstrike
Two days after the Myanmar junta launched an airstrike, reportedly against civilians including women and children, Indonesia has issued a statement condemning the attack in its capacity as this year's ASEAN chair.
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ASEAN foreign ministers attend on Oct. 27, 2022 the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (SAFMM) at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta to discuss the Myanmar crisis ahead of the 2022 ASEAN leaders' summit in November. The special meeting did not include a representative from Myanmar's military junta. (AFP/Indonesian Foreign Ministry)
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SEAN on Thursday issued a chairman’s statement to “strongly condemn” an airstrike the Myanmar junta launched in Sagaing that reportedly killed at least 133 civilians, including women and children.
“All forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians. This will be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peace solution,” says the statement.
On Tuesday, the Myanmar air force launched what it described as a “limited” attack against “oppositions” of its government and people.
However, witnesses and first responders said the bodies of children were also found following the airstrike.
The exact toll from the airstrike remains unclear, as witnesses have said that body parts are “scattered” throughout the area.
The seemingly indiscriminate attack came as Indonesia entered its fourth month as the 2023 ASEAN chair.
During its chairmanship, Indonesia has been pushing to implement the bloc’s peace initiative for Myanmar known as the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) through “quiet diplomacy”, under which key information is withheld from the public.
First agreed in 2021, the consensus calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, the provision of humanitarian assistance and the appointment of a special envoy to engage with all conflicting parties in the country.
Yet, little progress has been made as the agreement approaches its second anniversary in a few weeks, despite Indonesia’s assurance last week that progress was underway.
“We reiterate ASEAN’s commitment to continue assisting Myanmar in seeking a workable and durable solution to the ongoing crisis through promoting the full implementation of the 5PC,” ASEAN stated on April 13.
Read also: ASEAN mum as deadly Myanmar airstrike draws global ire
ASEAN’s statement came two days after the junta’s airstrike and after various international actors, including the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, as well as rights group Amnesty International, condemned the attack.
Observers and analysts alike have noted the delay in ASEAN issuing its own statement.
A Foreign Ministry official told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that ASEAN’s statement had to be cleared by all other member states before it could be publicly released.
Meanwhile, experts urged Indonesia not to be held back by the bloc’s mechanisms and simply speak out as a sovereign nation.
“It’s unfortunate that Indonesia, after completing its third month as ASEAN chairman, cannot differentiate between when it should act as the association’s leader” and when it should simply act as Indonesia, said Lina Alexandra, head of international relations at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta.
