President Jokowi Proposes ASEAN Consensus Discussion For Myanmar At The Summit

President Jokowi/DOC BPMI Setpres

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo sent a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen as Chair of ASEAN regarding the importance of ASEAN leaders discussing the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus to help resolve the Myanmar crisis.

The letter, said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, had been replied to by Hun Sen, who assigned foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries to meet and make recommendations regarding the implementation of the consensus.

“I said that this meeting should develop recommendations for next month's summit in Phnom Penh. Recommendations will be formulated, of course, through the chair and will be consulted with ASEAN member countries," said Retno after a special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 27.

Retno explained that in the upcoming ASEAN Summit, the leaders will review the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus agreed at the April Summit last year to respond to the political crisis in Myanmar after the military coup, because they judge that there has been no significant progress in implementing the consensus.

The Five-Point Consensus calls for an end to violence, dialogue with all stakeholders, appoints special envoys to facilitate mediation and dialogue, allows ASEAN to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar citizens, and allows ASEAN special envoys to visit and meet with stakeholders in Myanmar.

Like other ASEAN countries, Indonesia has repeatedly voiced concern and disappointment at the stalled implementation of the consensus.

“Instead of progress, the situation is said to have worsened. The language used by the chair is 'deteriorating and worsening'. And this is a reflection of what the ASEAN foreign ministers said," said Retno.

“This situation is of course very unfortunate. The Five Points Consensus is the decision of the ASEAN leaders, is the result of a special meeting where General Min Aung Hlaing was also present and is intended to help Myanmar overcome its political crisis," said Retno.

Indonesia, he said, stressed the importance of an immediate approach with all stakeholders according to the consensus mandate.

However, this approach, including with the military junta, is solely carried out to implement the consensus and does not constitute an acknowledgment of the junta as the government of Myanmar, said Retno.

“Engagement with the military has nothing to do with recognition issues. We believe that only with engagement with all stakeholders, ASEAN will be able to carry out its function to facilitate dialogue. And it is this national dialogue that is expected to be able to discuss the future of Myanmar," said Retno.

“The Myanmar problem can only be solved by the Myanmar people themselves. Therefore the dialogue between them becomes very important. ASEAN's task is to facilitate," he said.