Indonesian President Joko Widodo took over the presidency of ASEAN in early December after handing over from Cambodia. This economic and political association has 11 members: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Indonesia organized a big meeting on February 3
Indonesia kicked off its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by hosting its first major meeting on Friday (February 3rd). The group’s foreign ministers will meet at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta to discuss a range of issues affecting the region
Jakarta wants to send the message that it is committed to helping Myanmar through its presidency.
“We want to implement the five-point consensus. This will be ASEAN’s main platform to contribute to helping Myanmar emerge from the political crisis,” said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
This is despite Myanmar’s military regime failing to honor its part of the peace deal nearly two years later. The five-point consensus is the ASEAN peace plan for Myanmar, which was endorsed by the 10 leaders in Jakarta in April 2021, two months after the military coup in the member country.
Many doubts in the resolution of an agreement in Burma
The plan calls for an immediate cessation of violence, dialogue between all parties, the appointment of a special envoy, engagement with the envoy, and regional humanitarian assistance.
Director of the Department of International Relations at the Jakarta Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lina Alexandra, said such a strategy might be too short-sighted to work.
“Looking at the complexities of the crisis, it will never be resolved in a year. That’s why if every ASEAN president thinks just within the framework of a year, it will go nowhere. Rather than the president’s special envoy, it should be ASEAN. the special envoy,” she said.
“ASEAN needs to deal with this, not an individual chair, because it’s like passing the ball from one chair (to another). Alright, now it’s your problem, now it’s your turn.
Cambodia and Brunei failed to resolve the situation
“At the moment, there is distrust towards ASEAN from the Burmese opposition, the NUG (national unity government) because they were disappointed by the decision of some ASEAN countries who seem to give their approval to the junta” “So it is very important, considered as an achievement, if during the Indonesian presidency, there will be possibilities for the different parties to meet. »
Unfortunately, ASEAN has no mechanism for permanent suspension, let alone expulsion of a member.
In the UN, you know, a member can be suspended by the action of the UN Security Council. The Commonwealth can suspend its members, but ASEAN, unfortunately, does not have this kind of stipulation”
There is really reason to doubt indeed as to the resolution of the conflict which unfortunately shakes Myanmar
Very interesting article. THANKS.
There is really reason to doubt about the resolution of the conflict that is unfortunately shaking Myanmar.
