VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah on Monday called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to act more urgently in its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and spur a peace process in junta-ruled Myanmar.

The 10-nation bloc has been pushing Myanmar's military rulers to follow a peace "consensus" they agreed to last year, with some member countries expressing disappointment over a lack of progress on the plan.

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah on Monday called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to act more urgently in its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and spur a peace process in junta-ruled Myanmar.

The 10-nation bloc has been pushing Myanmar's military rulers to follow a peace "consensus" they agreed to last year, with some member countries expressing disappointment over a lack of progress on the plan.

"They (the ASEAN secretariat) must have a full-time team working on the conflict, otherwise people get killed in between all of our meetings... We must buck up."

The ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Saifuddin also called on ASEAN countries to decide on whether they would continue to work with the junta in providing humanitarian assistance, as he said many aid agencies in Myanmar were unwilling to work with the military or organisations linked to it.

"ASEAN must decide - where do we stand?" Saifuddin said.

"Do we continue with the junta? Or do we work without the junta and support the people who we know are doing good work? These are big questions and we have to decide urgently." (Reuters)