Rights group urges road map to end Myanmar crisis

By Devina Halim

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) – An Indonesian representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on Monday urged Myanmar’s military junta to develop a road map to implement a five-point agreement reached at a recent bloc meeting.

"Myanmar needs to create a timeline and roadmap for the implementation of the consensus reached,” Yuyun Wahyuningrum said in a statement.

During a special meeting in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on April 24, ASEAN member states agreed to an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, substantive dialogue among all parties involved, mediation by a special envoy or delegations, and the distribution of humanitarian aid.

The next challenge, she said, is to ensure that both ASEAN and Myanmar follow through on their commitments.

“The implementation must be carried out systematically and transparently,” Wahyuningrum said, referring to one of the ASEAN Charter’s norms, adhering to the rule of law and good governance.

She emphasized that the summit's joint statement did not contain a firm call to release political prisoners. The summit, however, "heard calls" for their release.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, as many as 3,431 people in Myanmar are still detained, with 79 of them convicted since the Feb. 1 military takeover. At least 745 have been killed.

“There are several points that have not been included in their statement. Hopefully, they will be able to do so in the next meetings," the Indonesian representative said.

Meanwhile, Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, told Anadolu Agency they were disappointed that neither ASEAN nor Indonesia released statements explicitly condemning the human rights abuses by the Myanmar military regime.

“ASEAN should have been able to take advantage of the meeting to stop violence in Myanmar more effectively, such as pushing for the investigation of Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity in his country," he said.

*Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language service