"This morning, I had another talk with Myanmar National Security Adviser U Thaung Tun to encourage acceleration of the modalities deal process for opening humanitarian aid access to Rakhine State," Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi said during a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I in Jakarta on Monday.
Indonesias initiative to send humanitarian aid for the people in conflicted area of Rakhine State has gained support from many countries, including ASEAN member states, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Iran, and the Netherlands.
During her visit to Myanmar last week, Marsudi and Myanmars State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi have discussed an access grant to international aid to overcome the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State.
The mechanism of distributing humanitarian assistance will be led by the Myanmar government and the ICRC, involving various countries and ASEAN, including Indonesia.
Humanitarian aid to the people who badly need food and medicine assistance must be prioritized, she added.
The Indonesian government has made every effort to implement inclusive development and rehabilitate condition in Rakhine state by, among others, building a hospital in Marauk U and providing aid program in the fields of health, education, and economy and capacity building.
"The Indonesian NGOs have cooperated with the Myanmar government and NGOs for quite a long time in distributing humanitarian aid and providing assistance for medium and long-term development," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the House Commission Is member Hidayat Nur Wahid has received a report from one of the NGOs that a ship carrying humanitarian aid was prevented from entering Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State.
"The escalation of the conflict has continued even after the foreign minister's visit," he noted.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
