ASEAN calls for peaceful solution to Myanmar crisis

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called on all parties in Myanmar to seek a peaceful solution through constructive dialogue and practical reconciliation in the interests of the people and their livelihoods.

“We expressed our concern about the situation in Myanmar and called on all parties to refrain from instigating further violence and exercise utmost restraint as well as flexibility,” said the chair’s statement on the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting released on Tuesday evening.

The statement called for the release of political detainees and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener to engage the parties concerned.

ASEAN was formed on Aug. 8, 1967, and has 10 members from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. It is headquartered in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

The special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers led by Brunei Darussalam was held virtually to address the current political situation in Myanmar following the Feb. 1 coup and find an amicable solution to the ensuing crisis.

It also underscored the importance of Myanmar’s continued efforts in addressing the situation in the Rakhine state, including the start of the repatriation process in a voluntary, safe and dignified manner in accordance with its bilateral agreements with Bangladesh.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Myanmar-based human rights group, reported on Monday that since the recent military coup in Myanmar, 1,213 people have been arrested and 913 people are still either detained or charged in separate cases, with four of whom convicted by the court.

In addition, at least 30 people have been killed as a result of a brutal and arbitrary crackdown by the military junta against anti-coup protesters.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo from Anadolu Agency’s Indonesian language services in Jakarta​​​​​​​​​​​​​​