DIKSIA.COM - JAKARTA, Indonesia has denied doing anything to deal with the crisis in Myanmar during its tenure as ASEAN chairmanship.

Foreign Minister (Menlu) Retno Marsudi said that Indonesia had carried out very intensive and inclusive talks or approaches with all parties in nearly seven months.

There were 110 contacts, both in the form of face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings and via telephone calls.

Including the personal approach, both by Retno himself with the Government of National Unity (NUG), Zin Mar Aung, and by the Myanmar junta, Than Swe.

“Cooperation with all parties is key to implement 5 PCs,” Retno said at a related news conference titled “The 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting/ASEAN Post Ministers' Conference (AMM/PMC)” at the Foreign Ministry office in Jakarta, Friday , July 7, 2023.

“Engagements are not an end but a means to an end, namely an inclusive dialogue to achieve lasting peace,” he continued.

He went on to say that the Office of the Special Envoy has also worked with ethnic resistance organizations (EROs), representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, as well as other parties in Myanmar.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister said that in addition to the parties in Myanmar, Indonesia has also held talks with Myanmar's neighboring countries and other key players.

With the main message that they support the implementation of the 5 point consensus (5 PCs).

Retno emphasized that these engagements are building blocks or walls.

In his opinion, it is time to build the second building block, namely the promotion of dialogue between the parties towards a national inclusive dialogue.

“Therefore, in my meetings with both the NUG Foreign Minister and the SAC Foreign Minister, I have expressed the importance of an inclusive dialogue,” he said.

According to him, external parties must promote an inclusive dialogue in Myanmar if the parties want lasting peace in Myanmar.

“Inclusive dialogue is the only way forward,” Retno said.