Brokering Peace in Myanmar

Posted by AsiaViews | Sep 12, 2017 | 0 |

The Jakarta Post

Sep 5, 2017

Through adding its voice to the global concerns about the outbreak of violence and ensuing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Indonesia is making a difference. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has sent Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on a peace-brokering mission aimed at putting an end to what the UN-sanctioned advisory commission describes as the “threefold crisis related to development, human rights and security” the Rohingya people have been experiencing.

Many may perceive Indonesia’s diplomacy in Myanmar as pointless given the gravity of the conflict between the government in Nyapyidaw and resistance groups in Rakhine, which was recently exacerbated by the rise in attacks perpetrated by Muslim militias. Fears are rife of further radicalization in the territory, as the UN commission under the leadership of former secretary-general Kofi Annan has warned in its report, and which could invite terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS) to fish in the murky waters, as has already happened in Myanmar’s ASEAN neighbor, the Philippines.

Escalation of the conflict will easily divert the core issue of a humanitarian crisis into a “holy war” in defense of Muslims oppressed by their Buddhist rulers, not only in Myanmar but also other countries, including Indonesia as evident in the recent Molotov-cocktail attack targeting the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta.

It was amid such complexity that Retno arrived in Myanmar to once again try to convince the government and its iconic leader, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to handle the Rakhine state issue with extra care. Protraction of the conflict, not to mention the intervention of ill-intentioned outsiders, will not only prolong the plight of thousands or millions of people but also endanger peace and stability in Southeast Asia and beyond.

On the other hand, the Indonesian Constitution mandates the country to participate in maintaining world peace and order, Myanmar and the Southeast Asia region included. Indonesia’s credentials as a peace broker have long been proven as has its commitment to peace-keeping missions in war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa under the UN.

Retno’s visit to Myanmar testifies to Indonesia’s leverage with the predominantly Buddhist state, which eludes many other countries. As the biggest ASEAN nation Indonesia played a leading role in Myanmar’s accession to the regional grouping as well as its transition, albeit with difficulty, to democracy.

Ever since the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar deteriorated in the past few years, Indonesia has taken actions rather than simply making statements, ranging from humanitarian relief for the Rohingya to bilateral dialogue, to seek solutions to the conflict in natural-resource rich Rakhine on the border with Bangladesh.

With many accounts, including the Annan-led commission’s 63-page report, showing the severity of abuse, statelessness and discrimination in Rakhine, Retno’s visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh should kick start a concerted global effort to end the humanitarian tragedy.

It is too early to expect a settlement, or even a quick fix, in Myanmar as a result of Indonesia’s peace diplomacy. Such endeavors, however, are better than doing nothing.

(http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/09/05/editorial-brokering-peace-in-myanmar.html

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POINTS TO PONDER

EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Brokering Peace in Myanmar