INDONESIA: Southeast Asian neighbours of strife-torn Myanmar must ponder imposing steps to hold its military authorities accountable, an expert from the UN said on Wednesday, adding that the bloc is “deadlocked” over how to handle the ongoing crisis.
Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must refrain from engaging with Myanmar’s military leaders as there has been no progress in carrying out a five-point peace plan agreed upon between the bloc and the junta after it seized power in a coup in 2021.
“It is time to consider alternative options to break what has become a deadly stalemate,” he stated during a press conference in Jakarta, adding, “ASEAN must consider measures to impose accountability on the junta for its grave human rights violations and blatant disregard for implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.”
The peace plan calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, secure humanitarian access, and open communication to bring about peace in the conflict-riven nation.
In November, a summit of ASEAN leaders warned the junta in charge of Myanmar and came to the conclusion that “concrete, useful, and measurable indicators with a specific timeline” were required. But discontent has escalated as a result of the junta’s stepped-up attacks on opponents and the lack of progress.
Andrews’ comments come as Thai media reported that the US intended to impose new sanctions on state-owned Myanmar banks and also coincide with a regional diplomats’ summit hosted by Thailand with the goal of reengaging the junta officials who have been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings.
Key ASEAN nations, including chair Indonesia, which has spearheaded covert efforts to bring the military and its critics together for dialogue, shunned the Thai conference. The meeting in Thailand, Andrews said, “can have the dangerous effect of legitimising the junta and undermining ASEAN unity.”
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