Diksia.com - JAKARTA – The informal ASEAN meeting in Pattaya, Thailand, aimed at addressing the crisis in Myanmar, but without the presence of Indonesia as this year’s ASEAN chair, is considered a significant issue within ASEAN, according to Dino Patti Djalal.
The former Deputy Foreign Minister stated that the meeting held on Monday, June 19, 2023, represented a serious coordination problem.
“There are cracks within ASEAN regarding how to handle the crisis in ASEAN,” Dino remarked during an encounter in the Cikini area of Jakarta on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
He believes that this coordination issue and internal division could have an impact on the 5-point consensus agreed upon by ASEAN leaders to help address the Myanmar issue.
One of the objectives is to hold meetings with all parties involved in Myanmar.
“The 5-point consensus is clear, outlining what ASEAN needs to achieve and the process to reach those goals, including its objectives. One of the goals, of course, is to have meetings with the junta, the NUG, and other parties to find a peaceful political solution,” he stated.
Dino emphasized the need to address these cracks and engage in consultations between Jakarta and Bangkok.
As known, the meeting held in Pattaya on Monday was organized by the interim Thai government in an effort to find an ASEAN-led peaceful solution to the crisis in Myanmar.
This meeting took place during Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN.
Thailand pledged to find a peaceful resolution to the issues in the country.
Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia declined to participate in the meeting, but China and India sent representatives for the discussions.
Ngurah Swajaya, the Foreign Ministry’s Special Staff for regional diplomacy, stated that Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was invited to the meeting.
However, she conveyed her inability to attend.
The informal meeting in Thailand with the Myanmar junta is deemed to contradict the mandate of the 5-point consensus (5 PCs) agreed upon by ASEAN leaders.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia (Kemlu RI) stated that the 5 PCs are decisions made by ASEAN leaders following the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting held in Jakarta on April 24, 2021, during Brunei Darussalam’s chairmanship.
