"As a friendly and neighboring country, Indonesia certainly cannot remain silent regarding the situation in Rakhine State," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated in a press release received here on Tuesday.
Marsudi delivered the statement during the working lunch to discuss the situation in Rakhine State, which was held by British Foreign Affairs Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on Monday.
During the meeting, the Myanmar National Security Advisor briefed the latest developments in Rakhine State. The Myanmar government has set up a task force to distribute humanitarian aid to Rakhine State.
The task force involved the International Committee of the Red Cross and several countries, including ASEAN member countries.
On that occasion, Marsudi explained the diplomatic steps of Indonesia to help Bangladesh and Myanmar. She has also met stakeholders of the two countries.
In addition, Marsudi also conveyed the 4+1 formula, which is expected to be a solution to the issue.
The formula highlighted the restoration of security and peace, restraint from using violence, protection of the entire population regardless of religious or ethnic backgrounds, and access to humanitarian assistance. In addition to those four elements, the future step was to ensure the implementation of recommendations of Kofi Annans report.
The initiatives and steps of Indonesian governments diplomacy have been appreciated by the representatives of the countries that attended the working lunch.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister, and US Ambassador to the United Nations, in particular, lauded Indonesias steps and the hard work of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister to resolve the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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