Myanmar urged to approve appointment of Asean special envoy

Six months after the Myanmar coup, Asean foreign ministers say little progress has been made on implementing its five-point plan

Indonesia’s Retno Marsudi said the delay ‘does Asean no good’

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Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (L), President Joko Widodo, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung are seen after a meeting at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta. Photo: AP

Published: 10:41pm, 2 Aug 2021Updated: 10:41pm, 2 Aug 2021

Indonesia’s foreign minister on Monday urged Myanmar to approve the appointment of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) special envoy and said little progress had been made on a plan to promote talks between Myanmar’s rival sides.

Six months after the military toppled Myanmar’s democratically elected government, Asean foreign ministers met on Monday to finalise the appointment of the envoy tasked with ending violence and promoting dialogue between the junta and its opponents.

Talking to the media by video conference, Indonesia’s Retno Marsudi said the group had made “no significant progress” on implementing its five-point plan to stop the turmoil in Myanmar, which was announced in April.

The delay “does Asean no good” and, if inaction went on, the issue should be returned to leaders to give directions, she said.

Myanmar has been racked by a deadly crackdown on protests, economic collapse and a refugee exodus since the February 1 coup. A surge in coronavirus infections has overwhelmed its health system, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the past month.

The United Nations and many countries, including the United States and China, have urged the Southeast Asian bloc, whose 10 members include Myanmar, to spearhead diplomatic efforts to restore stability in Myanmar.

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