“We have to engage Myanmar constructively. Of course, it is not easy at this moment,” Hourn said during a webinar on 'Myanmar Crisis and the Future of ASEAN' here on Tuesday.
ASEAN must not underestimate what is happening in the country, the minister said, adding that the association, which was established over 50 years ago, has credible experience in conflict management as well as conflict resolution.
“Myanmar as a country is very complex. We should not underestimate what is happening on the ground. We cannot push too much in this condition,” he highlighted.
Hence, Hourn said, ASEAN must hold a dialogue to keep Myanmar engaged since the association is considered to have wisdom and leadership that can be counted on.
“We need dialogue in this critical moment. We keep the doors open and engage with Myanmar. One of the focuses is to give the people of Myanmar assistance. How we can deliver the assistance if we do not communicate?” he expounded.
With regard to the absence of Myanmar representatives in the ASEAN Summit a couple of weeks ago, however, he said that it was not ASEAN that had expelled the country, but Myanmar itself had abandoned its responsibility as one of the member states.
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Myanmar is considered to be not committed to making peace in the country and ASEAN did not receive good responses from the country pertaining to the Five-Point Consensus, he noted.
“There are a lot of efforts to do the process and the Five-Point Consensus is how ASEAN can assist Myanmar,” Hourn said.
Cambodia will chair the ASEAN next year, he informed adding that the Myanmar crisis is one of the issues the member states will focus on besides COVID-19 and economic recovery in the region.
At the webinar, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to ASEAN, Ade Padmo Sarwono, agreed that ASEAN needs to hold a dialogue with Myanmar.
“If there is no communication, no engagement, it’s rather impossible to deal, to address, to find solutions to the crisis,” Sarwono noted.
However, Sarwono revealed that the ASEAN is yet to witness any significant progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
“It is very difficult that if someone wants to lend his hand, but the other one does not accept it sincerely. It is difficult to find ways out for solving this matter,” he added.
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Reporter: Juwita Trisna Rahayu
Editor: Suharto
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