Southeast Asian nations yesterday said they are “deeply concerned” about the violence ravaging Myanmar, and condemned a recent attack on a convoy of diplomats delivering humanitarian aid in the country.
Turmoil in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week’s ASEAN summit in Indonesia, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its perceived inaction.
ASEAN has led diplomatic attempts to resolve the festering crisis, but its efforts have so far failed to stem the bloodshed unleashed by a military coup in 2021.
Photo: Reuters
“We were deeply concerned with ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues,” ASEAN leaders said in a statement.
The junta has ignored international criticism and refused to engage with its opponents, which include ousted lawmakers, the anti-coup “People’s Defense Forces” and armed ethnic minority groups.
An airstrike on a village in a rebel stronghold last month that reportedly killed about 170 people sparked global condemnation and worsened the junta’s isolation.
Photo: AFP
Pressure on the regional bloc increased on Sunday after a convoy of vehicles carrying diplomats and officials coordinating ASEAN humanitarian relief in Myanmar came under fire.
Singapore and Indonesia earlier said that staff from their embassies in Myanmar were in the vehicles that came under fire in eastern Shan State, but were unharmed.
“We condemned the attack and underlined that the perpetrators must be held accountable,” ASEAN leaders said.
Addressing the summit yesterday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he was “confident” the 10-member bloc could deal with growing global challenges if its members were united.
“With unity, ASEAN will be able to play a central role in bringing peace and growth,” Widodo said through a translator as he opened the leaders’ session of the summit.
Foreign ministers and national leaders meeting on the Indonesian island of Flores are trying to kickstart a five-point plan agreed upon with Myanmar two years ago after mediation attempts to end the violence failed.
Myanmar remains an ASEAN member, but has been barred from top-level summits due to the junta’s failure to implement the peace plan.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is being represented by his deputy at the twice-yearly event due to elections at home.
Ahead of the arrival of officials in Labuan Bajo, the Indonesian military deployed more than 9,000 personnel, warships and F-16 jets to the small fishing town, which serves as the entrance to Komodo National Park, where tourists can see the world’s largest lizards.
Jakarta’s chairmanship of the bloc this year had raised hopes ASEAN could push for a peaceful solution, using its economic weight and diplomatic experience.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi on Friday said that her country was using “quiet diplomacy” to speak with all sides of the Myanmar conflict and spur renewed peace efforts.
However, a senior Indonesian minister on Tuesday said that ASEAN was at a “crossroad,” and risked becoming irrelevant if it failed to deal with Myanmar and other regional emergencies.
ASEAN’s charter principles of consensus and noninterference have hamstrung its ability to stop the violence in Myanmar, which critics say poses an existential threat to the bloc.
Divisions among its members over Myanmar and other issues, including China’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea, have undermined the bloc.
Expectations for progress at the summit are low.
“Indonesia has indicated they are planning to release an implementation plan for the five-point consensus,” said Aaron Connelly, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore. “I don’t think that there’s going to be very much there that will surprise people.”
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