Summit In Jakarta, Fadli Zon Please ASEAN Compactly Implement Myanmar Consensus

Fadli Zon

JAKARTA - Chairman of the House of Representatives' Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) Fadli Zon hopes that all ASEAN countries will compactly implement the Five Points of Consensus (5PC) in handling the crisis in Myanmar. The moment of the ASEAN 43rd Summit which is currently underway in Jakarta is considered to be able to strengthen the commitments of Southeast Asian countries.

"The ASEAN Summit should be able to be compact about the implementation of the 5PC. Do not let ASEAN member countries unilaterally take their own initiative without ASEAN coordination," said Fadli Zon, Wednesday, September 6.

As is known, the 43rd ASEAN Summit was held in Jakarta from September 5 to 7, 2023 following Indonesia's chairmanship in ASEAN this year. Minus Myanmar, a total of 10 ASEAN members attended this conference. In addition, 9 partner countries and 2 invited countries also came to the 43rd ASEAN Summit.

One of the things discussed at the 43rd ASEAN Summit was the handling of the crisis in Myanmar where Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) also emphasized that the Five Points of Consensus (5PC) would remain the main guideline for ASEAN in resolving the crisis in Myanmar.

In terms of parliament, the 44th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly which was just completed in Jakarta in early August has successfully agreed on a resolution related to Myanmar. One of them is the resolution of the parliament's role in creating peace in Myanmar by prioritizing dialogue.

"The AIPA delegation in the Political Committee Session resulted in consensus exploring the mechanism and could be used to oversee the implementation of the Five Point of Consensus (5PC) which has been used as a guideline to restore the safe and peaceful situation in Myanmar," said Fadli.

At the 44th AIPA General Assembly with the Indonesian House of Representatives as the host, Parliament throughout Southeast Asia also agreed to form an Ad-Hoc committee in order to help Myanmar achieve peaceful and sustainable solutions.

The Ad-Hoc committee is one of the parliament's efforts to oversee the commitment of Southeast Asian countries to address problems in Myanmar as stated in the five points of the ASEAN (Five-point Consensus ASEAN) agreement.

Not only that, AIPA also plans to send representatives in the form of a task force to Myanmar to monitor the settlement of the humanitarian crisis and see the conditions of the people there affected by the conflict. According to Fadli, parliamentary diplomacy can be a bridge for parties involved to open inclusive dialogue.

"The Ad-Hoc AIPA Committee can assist ASEAN in helping resolve conflicts within Myanmar. So I hope the leaders of countries in Southeast Asia agree to continue to oversee the implementation of the 5PC for peace there," explained the legislator from the West Java V electoral district.

Fadli assessed that the crisis problem in Myanmar would not be resolved within a year or two. Therefore, he encourages routine humanitarian assistance to be held by countries present at the 43rd ASEAN Summit.

"AIPA is also committed together to encouraging and gathering humanitarian aid aimed at the people of Myanmar who are affected by a prolonged crisis. Because at this time, apart from solving the crisis, humanitarian assistance is also needed," said Fadli.

On the other hand, the member of Commission I of the DPR considers that the success of the ASEAN 43rd Summit will strengthen Indonesia's position as a key player in realizing stability and prosperity in the Southeast Asia region. According to Fadli, Indonesia could further show its leadership existence in ASEAN if the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta was successful.

"The 43rd ASEAN Summit currently underway in Jakarta has an important meaning for the development of cooperation between countries in the Southeast Asia region. This will be a milestone for Indonesia because it brings great benefits to the Southeast Asia region and the world as a whole," he said.

With the 43rd ASEAN Summit, Fadli hopes that Indonesia can become a facilitator for Southeast Asian countries to produce stronger agreements. This includes partner countries that are present, especially in terms of trade, investment, and economic cooperation.