Jakarta. ASEAN chair Indonesia on Friday said that it has had 110 “engagements” with the key stakeholders in Myanmar, and is now moving towards the “second building block” of an inclusive national dialogue for a durable peace in the strife-torn country. 

Indonesia has been chairing the ASEAN grouping for almost seven months, and the country has been engaging the Myanmar stakeholders, including the military junta, be it by phone, virtually, or in person. These engagements aimed to nudge all parties into having an inclusive dialogue, which would help ease the years-long crisis in Myanmar. 

According to senior diplomat Retno Marsudi, Indonesia has approached Myanmar’s government-in-exile National Unity Government (NUG) as well as the junta State Administration Council (SAC), among others. 

“I have had in-person engagements with the foreign ministers of the NUG and SAC. I  have also told them the importance of an inclusive dialogue,” Retno told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

Engagements took place with Myanmar’s neighboring countries to encourage them into supporting the five-point peace plan that the Southeast Asian bloc had adopted in 2021. The ASEAN special envoy office in Myanmar has also had talks with the country’s ethnic resistance organizations (EROs), political party representatives, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs). 

“Engagements are just the first building block. It is time that we start working on the second building block, namely a dialogue between the stakeholders for a national inclusive dialogue,” Retno said.

“As long as the parties adopt a zero-sum approach, we would not see durable peace. An inclusive dialogue is the only way forward,” Retno added.

The envoy also commented on the recent informal talks hosted by fellow ASEAN member state Thailand to re-engage Myanmar’s military rulers.

“Of all ASEAN countries, the Laotian Foreign Minister was the only one who attended that informal talk. The five-point consensus is still the main track in addressing the Myanmar issue,” Retno told the press.

Humanitarian Assistance
Humanitarian aid delivery to Myanmar is witnessing some progress. 

According to Retno, the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Center) has completed the joint needs assessment and has delivered the first tranche of aid in May 2023.

“AHA Center is preparing assistance for 400 households or around 1,450 internally displaced people. The Sagaing and Magway regions will be next in our priority list. AHA Center provided $1.6 million worth of assistance to help the victims affected by Cyclone Mocha,” Retno said.

Indonesia just last week also delivered 45 tons of humanitarian aid worth $500,000 comprising ready-to-eat meals and tents, among others. 

“We have heard about the need for vaccines for children. We are currently asking for the data on how many vaccines they need, and we are ready to contribute,” Retno said.

Read More: Indonesia Skips Thai’s Informal Talks on Myanmar

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