Irrawaddy-Mar 16
Indonesia is in talks with various parties in Myanmar, but resolving the conflict that has overwhelmed the country since the 2021 coup will take time, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Indonesia is this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member. The 10-member regional bloc reached consensus on a five-point peace plan in April 2021 intended to halt Myanmar’s slide into civil war. More than two years and several thousand deaths later, the regime continues to ignore the plan and its core demand for cessation of violence. Widodo told the Strait Times on Wednesday that as ASEAN chair, Indonesia will do its best to improve the situation in Myanmar despite the “complicated” crisis. Widodo said that the priority for Indonesia and ASEAN is to implement the point in the peace plan calling for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar. “We have been working on this. It is just that a lot of the work is behind the scenes, but there is some work that is going on,” Widodo said. He has already announced his intention to send a high-ranking general to Naypyitaw to share Indonesia’s experience of democratic transition, with Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Economic Affairs Luhut Panjaitan tipped as a potential candidate. In January, Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi announced plans to set up a Special Envoy’s Office to coordinate ASEAN’s handling of the Myanmar crisis. She also reaffirmed the commitment to engage with all stakeholders, including forces opposed to the junta. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/the-world-myanmar/indonesia-working-behind-the-scenes-for-myanmar-peace.html
