Foreign Minister Sugiono spoke about the issue on Saturday in an informal gathering between ASEAN foreign ministers and Myanmar’s special envoy in Kuala Lumpur, at which time he highlighted the importance of a united front among ASEAN countries to achieve the goal.

“Indonesia remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting a peaceful solution in Myanmar. Regional stability can only be achieved if ASEAN is united and acts based on the principles of consensus and solidarity,” Sugiono said, as quoted from a statement from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

He said that all members of the regional bloc “must be of one voice and purpose” to push a full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) peace plan for the Myanmar crisis, which critics have perceived to be sluggish in its progress.

Sugiono further stressed Indonesia’s readiness to help with any initiatives by Malaysia, which holds this year’s ASEAN chairmanship, to facilitate the process.

Since Myanmar’s military junta staged a coup in early 2021, ASEAN leaders have so far struggled to end the deadly conflict that continues to this day. Over 6,000 people have been killed and at least 20,000 detained by the junta, according to a report by human rights group Amnesty International earlier this year.

The ruling military junta declared in April a temporary ceasefire against armed opposition groups in the country following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in late March that killed more than 3,700 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Read also: Malaysia to seek ceasefire extension in Myanmar for quake relief efforts

Following the extended meeting on Saturday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan called during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) on Sunday for further extension and expansion of the ceasefire, which is due to run out on May 31.

“We call on the stakeholders in Myanmar to cease hostilities and to extend and expand the ceasefire, to facilitate the long and difficult path toward recovery and to ease the suffering of the people of Myanmar,” Mohamad said in his opening remarks, as quoted from an official statement.

While the junta previously extended the ceasefire from late April to the current deadline in late May, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that the junta limited aid for the quake victims and still carried out air strikes since the start of the ceasefire, Reuters reported.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously met Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing at a closed-door meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in April and urged him to respect the truce.

Minister Sugiono reiterated during Sunday’s ASEAN ministerial meeting that the crisis has become a serious threat to the region’s stability and that steps must be taken to create an inclusive room for dialogue.

“The price of staying still is costly. We must unite to help Myanmar in creating peace that is Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned,” Sugiono said in a statement.

He also emphasized the importance of upholding the bloc’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), which highlights peaceful coexistence among Southeast Asian nations, and supporting Timor-Leste’s accession to the 10-member bloc.

Read also: Indonesia to uphold ASEAN centrality, unity at Malaysian summit

Earlier this year, Malaysia held the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi to discuss the bloc’s priorities this year, among which is to bolster “peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”

The 46th ASEAN summit will be held from Monday to Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur and will see Southeast Asian leaders tackle various global issues, including the Myanmar conflict, maritime disputes in the South China Sea and the effect of United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the region’s economy. It will be the first summit to be attended by President Prabowo Subianto since he took office last October.