Foreign Minister: RI Supports ASEAN Efforts To Increase Involvement In Overcoming Myanmar Issues
JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister (Menlu) Sugiono supports ASEAN in increasing his involvement with Myanmar to resolve the protracted political crisis in the country. According to the Indonesian Foreign Minister, the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) must remain the main reference in resolving the situation in Myanmar, although its implementation so far is still limited.
The consensus includes stopping hostilities, humanitarian assistance, appointment of special envoys, special envoy visits, and an inclusive dialogue process.
"To ensure sustainable sustainability and engagement, Indonesia supports in principle the proposal of the ASEAN Special Ambassador to Myanmar with a long-term mandate," Sugiono said at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday.
According to a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs received in Jakarta, in addition to strengthening the function of the ASEAN Special Ambassador to Myanmar, Sugiono expressed Indonesia's support for the formation of the ASEAN Observer Group to oversee the implementation of elections in Myanmar in December.
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Sugiono emphasized that regarding the election plan, ASEAN needs to carefully review the joint positions that will be determined and the responses that need to be taken.
According to him, ASEAN (Central Asian Association) must also remain involved because the implementation of elections alone does not necessarily solve the basic problems in Myanmar.
"Indonesia is open to the idea of the ASEAN Observer Group with a clear and limited mandate to observe and supervise, but not to recognize, support, or ratify elections," he stressed.
If ASEAN does not agree on the proposal of the Observer Group, the Indonesian Foreign Minister reminded that ASEAN must still be ready to emphasize its position, especially if there are third parties who try to give official recognition of the implementation of elections in Myanmar.