Indonesia president calls for ASEAN advanced meeting on Myanmar crisis
20 March, 2021
Indonesian President Joko Widodo found on Friday (Mar 19) needed democracy to be restored and violence to be halted on Myanmar and for Southeast Asian leaders to hold a high-level meeting to discuss the situation there.
"I will immediately contact the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam as brain of ASEAN to immediately hold a high-level ASEAN meeting to go over the crisis in Myanmar," he explained in a virtual address. Brunei is currently chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Countries.
Head of Indonesia's armed forces Hadi Tjahjanto likewise expressed concern above the situation in Myanmar in a good video conference of Southeast Asian defence chiefs on Thursday, in line with the military's website.
Myanmar coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing was within the meeting, his first overseas engagement since seizing power, state tv showed.
Indonesia held intensive talks with both Myanmar military and representatives of the ousted elected federal government last month in a good bid to end an emergency over a Feb 1 military coup.
Indonesia features taken the business lead within ASEAN in attempts to solve Myanmar's turmoil. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, for talks in Bangkok on Feb 24.
The Myanmar army seized power after alleging fraud in a Nov 8 election swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, detaining her and much of the party leadership.
Opponents of the coup have got staged weeks of demonstrations found in towns and places across Myanmar, with ratings of protesters killed found in the ensuing violence.
The Indonesian effort to resolve the crisis has raised suspicion among Myanmar democracy activists who fear dealing with the junta would confer legitimacy onto it and its own bid to scrap the November election. They insist the election result should be respected.
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