Myanmar Lack of Goodwill to Do ASEAN Five-Point Consensus: Indonesia

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted the lack of goodwill of the Myanmar junta to implement the Five-Point Consensus, which was agreed by the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end the crisis in the country.

"Indonesia's position is very clear. we see that there is currently no significant progress from the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus," said Marsudi, when delivering an online press statement regarding the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday night, August 3, 2022.

Many countries who discussed the issue of Myanmar during the working lunch on the sidelines of the meeting, also conveyed many broken promises by the junta. "So during discussions with the junta, it seemed as if there was a commitment, but what they did was actually the opposite of what was conveyed at the meeting," said Marsudi.

Therefore, Indonesia agreed with ASEAN that Myanmar should not be represented by political officials in ASEAN meetings. Indonesia reiterates the importance of engaging with all stakeholders in Myanmar, under the mandate of the Five-Point Consensus.

"Indonesia also said that if there were no changes at all until the summit in November, then the ASEAN foreign ministers must submit recommendations to ASEAN leaders regarding the steps that ASEAN must take in the future," said Marsudi.

Joint Communique

During the working lunch which specifically discussed the issue of Myanmar, the ASEAN foreign ministers agreed on the importance of the AMM issuing a joint communique, with a paragraph on Myanmar which will be discussed at the foreign ministerial level. “So there is an agreement that the joint communique will be issued. Currently, negotiations regarding the Myanmar paragraph at the foreign minister's level are still ongoing," said Marsudi.

Despite various developments regarding the Myanmar situation, Marsudi emphasized that the distribution of humanitarian aid will continue because it involves the direct interests of the Myanmar people. "The interests of the Myanmar people have always been ASEAN's main concern," she said.

Earlier, Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing said several points of the Five-Point Consensus would be implemented this year. In a speech on state television on August 1, 2022, Min Aung Hlaing said this year, as all the situations are unfolding, the most likely points of the Five-Point Consensus will be implemented under the ASEAN framework. He said Myanmar was unable to live up to that consensus last year due to a "lack of stability", partly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Five Points Consensus was agreed upon by ASEAN leaders, including representatives of Myanmar, at a meeting in Jakarta in April last year. The consensus calls for an “immediate cessation of violence” and all parties exercise “complete control”; a constructive dialogue between all parties; mediation of talks by the special envoy of the ASEAN chair; ASEAN-coordinated humanitarian assistance provisions; and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation led by a special envoy, to meet with all parties to the conflict.