ASEAN Parliament Forms A Team And Sets A Flight Schedule To Myanmar

Fadli Zon

JAKARTA - The 44th ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly has completed several resolutions and decisions that must be adopted with Southeast Asian countries AIPA members. One of them formed a monitoring team to achieve peace related to the conflict in Myanmar.

The 44th AIPA General Assembly which was just completed in Jakarta resulted in 30 resolutions that have been agreed upon by all AIPA members. The 30 resolutions came from the Women's Parliament Committee, the Young Parliamentary Committee or Young Parliamentarians of AIPA (YPA), the Committee for Political Affairs, the Committee for Economic Affairs, the Committee for Social Affairs, the Organizational Affairs Committee, and the Organizational Affairs Committee.

The AIPA Political Committee itself produced 6 resolutions, of which 2 were proposed by Indonesia. The first is the Resolution to Maintain Peace, Security, and Regional Stability through Dialogue and Collaboration (Resolution on Maintaining Regional Peace, Security and Stability through Dialogue and Collaboration).

Then the second is the Resolution of Parliamentary Cooperation in Contributing to Long-Term Peace in Myanmar (Resolution on Parliamentary Cooperation in Contributing to Long-lasting Peace in Myanmar). In addition to 6 resolutions, the AIPA Political Commission also agreed that the AIPA Member Parliament form a team in monitoring efforts to achieve peace in Myanmar.

"About Myanmar we will form a body or one committee, maybe an ad-hoc committee to monitor the implementation of five point consensus from the side of Parliament," said Fadli Zon, Friday, August 11.

According to the chairman of the House of Representatives' Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP), the team will also help monitor the implementation of the 5 Points Consensus for resolving the conflict in Myanmar which Southeast Asian countries have agreed. Fadli added that the AIPA Political Committee also plans to visit Myanmar in order to see firsthand the conditions of the people there.

"Maybe later we can visit there to see firsthand what happens there. A kind of special entry (special verdict) from Parliament," he explained.

This special envoy plan is like the Task Force sent by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The formation of the task force was agreed upon at the 144th IPU General Session which was also held in Indonesia in 2022.

The world parliamentary forum sent representatives to Russia and Ukraine to monitor the condition of the people of the two countries affected by the war as well as to promote peace through Parliamentary Diplomacy. The task Force has visited Kiev Ukraine and Moscow Russia.

Fadli Zon himself became a representative of the Asia Pacific parliament in the IPU Task Force visiting Russia and Ukraine. According to him, this task force saw firsthand the Bucha and Irpin areas, small towns north of Kiev which were severely affected in the form of damage to residential buildings, business centers, and a number of public facilities. Not only that, but the IPU Task Force also held a dialogue with the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.

"I'm part 1 of the 8 people who go there. Every geopolitical region has one representative, I represent Asia Pacific. There are 8 people around the world we also come to Kiev and also to Moscow," said Fadli.

Even so, sending a special envoy from AIPA to Myanmar has not yet become an official decision because there is still debate among AIPA MPs. Fadli said some AIPA lawmakers who attended the Political Committee meeting agreed to visit Myanmar, but some refused for various reasons.

Through a fairly long debate process. Later from the results of this resolution we will have the realization, what the shape will be. Later it will be discussed again, we hope it won't take too long. We will try to pick up the ball," said the legislator from the West Java V electoral district.

Fadli hopes that AIPA will agree on sending a special envoy as an effort from AIPA to take on a greater role in facilitating inclusive dialogue for reconciliation in Myanmar. By sending a special envoy, AIPA is considered to be able to contribute more to resolving the conflict in Myanmar because it can see firsthand the impact of the crisis in the country.

"We hope so, but not yet a decision. But this is one step for us to open ourselves up to forming an Ad-hoc committee for parliamentary visits there," explained Fadli.

In addition to the plan to form a special team, the AIPA Political Commission also agreed to engage with observer countries (observers) who attended the ASEAN Parliamentary General Assembly in collecting multilateral humanitarian assistance for the people of Myanmar.

The AIPA Political Committee also emphasized the importance of collective action and cooperation between the executive and legislature to support efforts towards peace, stability, harmony, and reconciliation in Myanmar. This was conveyed in the message of the 44th AIPA President, Puan Maharani, during the ASEAN-AIPA Leaders' Interface (meeting between parliamentary leaders and Southeast Asian leaders) at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo.

Fadli is optimistic that the idea of the AIPA Political Committee will play a major role in helping the issue of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

"Later it will be discussed again regarding the special envoy, we hope it won't take too long. We will try to pick up the ball," he said.