Yangon, May (7)
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi revealed that Indonesia, which is the rotating chair of ASEAN, has been quietly engaging with the military council, including the National Unity Government (NUG), and the ethnic armed organizations regarding the Myanmar issue.
Indonesia has launched a quiet effort to make a breakthrough in the crisis, and it is the first major effort to bring to the table all the key players in Myanmar’s conflict, she said.
Retno Marsudi declined to give details of the talks but told Reuters that Indonesian diplomats had held more than 60 engagements with all parties involved.
National Unity Government (NUG) Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson U Nay Phone Latt confirmed to Than Lwin Times that during the meeting with ASEAN, the main focus of the discussion was to prevent the military from participating in politics in the future and to prevent a military coup in Myanmar from happening again.
He added, “We discussed NUG’s stance regarding the current affairs in Myanmar and the illegal sham election that the junta is trying to hold according to the law, including the annulment of the 2008 Constitution, is not the solution to solve Myanmar’s issues, while the revolutionary forces are preparing to draft a new Constitution according to the federal democratic agreement”. And he explained that Indonesia’s questions to the National Unity Government (NUG) could not be revealed in details.
U Aung San Myint, Secretary 2 of the KNPP, told Than Lwin Times that the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), which is an ethnic armed organization, discussed more about providing humanitarian aid in meetings with ASEAN countries.
Political analysts consider that ASEAN cannot be expected to solve Myanmar’s political problems in a situation where ASEAN member countries in the region are unable to adopt a common attitude.
ASEAN has not been able to completely implement the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, including the immediate cessation of violence, negotiation among essential stakeholders, and provision of humanitarian assistance, to resolve the Myanmar situation for more than two years.
It is expected that the ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus will be discussed at the ASEAN Summit, which will take place in Indonesia in the second week of May.
ASEAN has had three rotating chairs since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, and when Indonesia took over as the rotating chair, it began to engage with all parties.
However, as long as Myanmar’s political situation has not progressed, Myanmar’s military generals have been banned from attending ASEAN summits.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: CNN