Indonesia will maintain efforts to build trust and act as a bridge to eliminate differences between all parties involved
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia will continue to build trust with stakeholders in Myanmar so that the peace process can be started, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Wednesday.

"Indonesia will maintain efforts to build trust and act as a bridge to eliminate differences between all parties involved," she stated at a press conference in Jakarta.

Myanmar has been beset by social, political, and economic chaos since the military coup against its elected government in February 2021.

Human rights groups and the United Nations have accused the military of carrying out atrocities as part of a crackdown on its opponents, whom it has described as "terrorists" seeking to destroy the country.

According to a report released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on March 9, 2023, in recent months, the military has stepped up air raids and bombings on villages, schools, medical facilities, and encampments for internally displaced persons.

The report also noted that more than 1.3 million people have been displaced in the past two years, and more than three thousand civilians have been killed.

Marsudi said that Indonesia will support efforts to create conducive conditions, hold inclusive dialogue, end violence, and provide humanitarian assistance.

She added that there has been movement based on what has been done by Indonesia as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the past three months. The nation’s efforts have included engaging with various stakeholders in Myanmar.

"Indonesia has also facilitated the resumption of communication and consultation with various stakeholders so that the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) can distribute humanitarian aid to the people of Myanmar, regardless of ethnicity, religion, and political orientation," she stated.

Consultations to reach more stakeholders still need to be carried out while preparing to send humanitarian aid to Myanmar, she added.

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Reporter: Shofi Ayudiana
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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