Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi made the statement in Bandung, West Java, on Monday (January 8), while delivering the "2024 Annual Press Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs."
"Indonesia's commitment to assisting Myanmar in escaping the crises goes beyond our chairmanship," Marsudi underscored.
The minister emphasized that since a political dispute between military and civil society erupted in Myanmar in 2021, Indonesia had been consistent in demonstrating its commitment to helping the country escape the crises.
She remarked that the implementation of the so-called Five-Point Consensus (5PC) would remain the main reference for putting an end to the conflict in Myanmar.
During its chairmanship in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023, Indonesia had made 265 engagements with a plethora of relevant stakeholders in Myanmar, she stated.
Marsudi then emphasized that Indonesia would continue to optimize its diplomatic channels to drive progress in the implementation of the 5PC.
She then drew attention to the issue regarding the influx of Rohingya refugees while noting that the trend is closely related to the conflict in Myanmar.
"Democracy and stabilization in Myanmar will play key roles in resolving the Rohingya issue, so the refugees can return to their homes with dignity," she pointed out.
The minister noted that transnational human trafficking syndicates have been allegedly involved in leading Myanmar refugees to Indonesian territory during their exodus.
For that reason, Marsudi called for solid cooperation between countries and United Nations bodies to deal with the refugee issue.
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Translator: Yashinta D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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