VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 17 - Indonesia will unswervingly strive to contribute to settling the political conflict in Myanmar following a military coup and detention of civilian leaders on February 1, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

"Since the onset, Indonesia has consistently expressed readiness to contribute to it," Marsudi remarked while delivering a joint press statement following a bilateral meeting with her Hungarian counterpart here on Tuesday.

While stressing that the safety and welfare of Myanmar people should be the main priority, the minister affirmed that the efforts to ensure the continuance of inclusive transition towards democracy in Myanmar should be prioritized.

“Hence, a regional mechanism must be able to work better to give constructive assistance to the settlement of the difficult issue," she affirmed.

To respond to the latest developments in Myanmar, Marsudi spoke of having contacted her counterparts from ASEAN member states, India, Australia, Japan and Britain as well as the UN Secretary General's special envoy for Myanmar.

Marsudi also intends to contact the US secretary of state and the Chinese minister of foreign affairs to discuss the same issue.

The Myanmar military has seized power after detaining the country's political figures from the National League for Democracy (NLD), including Leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint as well as several pro-democracy and human rights activists.

Shortly after seizing power, the military imposed a one-year state of emergency that puts executive, legislative, and judicial powers under the control of Military Chief General Min Aung Hlaing.

Two days after the coup, the Myanmar police officially arrested Suu Kyi on charges of importing illegal communications equipment, while President Myint was arrested for allegedly violating the disaster management law.

The coup prompted the Myanmar people to take to the streets.

Thousands of people, including workers, civil servants, medical workers, students, and young activists, staged a peaceful rally to protest against the coup and demand the local authorities to return power to the democratically elected government.

The Indonesian government had earlier urged parties involved in the recent political situation in Myanmar to restrain from further actions and opt for dialogue.

"Indonesia urges all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and pursue the path of dialogue in finding solutions to challenges, so as not to exacerbate the condition," the Foreign Affairs Ministry noted in an official statement released on Monday.

The ministry echoed Indonesia’s strong concern over this matter and "underscores that all electoral differences be addressed in accordance with the available legal mechanism".

"Indonesia calls for the observance of the principles of the ASEAN Charter, among other things, adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy, and constitutional government," the ministry noted. (Antaranews)