VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The wave of protests against the military coup in Myanmar shows no signs of abating. The ongoing rallies  in the country are the largest since the Saffron Revolution against a military regime in 2007 led by a line of Buddhist monks dressed in orange. Mass protests, marked by a movement of civil disobedience, have recently been met with a show of force by the military.

According to the BBC until Wednesday (3/3/2021), at least 50 people were reportedly killed since the upheaval against the coup on February 1.

The neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) have also started calling for the military to hold back repressive actions against demonstrators. In overcoming the crisis in Myanmar, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers are working to promote dialogue between detained Leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta. This is a formidable challenge, because the ASEAN is bound by a consensus-based decision-making mechanism not to interfere with the domestic affairs of each member country.

Even so, the initiative must be taken because confrontation and bloodshed will have a serious impact on ASEAN's stability and reputation. In the virtual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on March 2, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi expressed deep concerns about developments in Myanmar. According to Minister Retno, if not resolved immediately, it will threaten regional peace and security. It was emphasized that all ASEAN countries have an obligation to maintain a conducive situation in the region.

The current condition of Myanmar could be a stumbling block for ASEAN in creating peace in the region. Yet, on the other hand, it could also be an opportunity to show that ASEAN is a solid group of Southeast Asian countries and can solve its own problems.

Safety and security for the people of Myanmar is of the utmost importance at this moment, besides peace of course. Likewise, other ASEAN member countries want a safe and peaceful situation in the region. Hopefully, ASEAN can take the best steps so that the Myanmar problem can be resolved immediately without causing many victims.