Indonesia’s Finance Minister Mr. Mulani Indrawati (front left) attends the meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at Nusa Dua in the Indonesian resort island of Bali on March 31, 2023. Photo credit: Sony Tumbelaka/AFP
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) criticized for its inaction on the deepening Myanmar crisis, strongly condemned on 13 April airstrikes that reportedly killed dozens,
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, is the regional bloc’s 2023 chair and is hoping to launch a five-point plan agreed with the Myanmar junta two years ago, and other mediation efforts that have so far ended in violence. failed to eliminate.
“All forms of violence must end immediately, especially the use of force against civilians,” the 10-member bloc said in an unusually bold statement issued by Indonesia.
The military toppled the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. In the February 2021 coup. More than 3,200 people have been killed in the crackdown on dissent and armed groups opposing his rule, according to a local monitoring group.
The official death toll from the April 11 attack in remote Kambalu township in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region is unclear, although at least 100 people have been reported killed. BBC, Irrawaddy And radio free asia,
The strike drew international condemnation. UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was “horrified” that the victims included school children who were dancing.
The junta confirmed on 12 April that it had launched “limited” airstrikes.
The ASEAN statement said, “ASEAN strongly condemns the recent airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Armed Forces (…) which resulted in the loss of at least dozens of civilian lives.”
The statement of the ASEAN Chair does not necessarily indicate the consent of all member states.
A security source said a fighter jet and a helicopter were involved in the April 11 attack AFP,
A villager also told AFP It was difficult to identify the dead on 12 April.
“We can no longer identify who is among the dead because they are all dismembered,” he said.
The junta said it had received a tip about the opening of an office for one of the local defense forces that were opposed to its rule.
Singapore put its support behind the ASEAN statement.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Twitter, “Singapore is deeply concerned by these attacks.”
Indonesia will host the annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings in May and September.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said last week Jakarta was “working hard to implement the five-point consensus, which calls for an end to violence and for talks between the army and rebels”.
That plan has been largely ignored by the junta.
Jakarta’s presidency of the bloc had raised hopes that ASEAN could use its economic weight as well as its diplomatic experience to press for a peaceful solution.
Indonesia this year announced plans to set up a special envoy’s office under the foreign ministry to set up low-level talks with the junta, though little has been revealed about the status of any talks.
Myanmar remains an ASEAN member, but has been barred from top-level summits over the junta’s failure to implement a peace plan.
Rizal Sukma, a senior fellow at the Jakarta-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Indonesia’s diplomatic efforts as ASEAN chair have so far been ineffective.
Mr. Sukma said, “I see that Indonesia’s effort of ‘quiet diplomacy’ has not yet had an effect.” AFP, “In fact, I think Indonesia is being insulted by the junta.”
It will be “time to review” Indonesia’s strategy if no progress is made by May, when ASEAN leaders gather in Labuan Bajo in Indonesia’s east, he said.
ASEAN has long been criticized for inaction but its initiatives are limited by the charter principles of consensus and non-intervention.
Indonesian officials have acknowledged that the lack of progress on Myanmar will test ASEAN’s credibility.