VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

ASEAN's toughest sanction for Myanmar is to vacate the delegation, according to Suzie Sudarman, an international relations observer from the University of Indonesia. He issued this view following the social turmoil that has resurfaced in Myanmar and ASEAN's response to the turmoil.

The Myanmar military junta accidentally dropped a bomb during a music concert in Kachin, northern Myanmar, on Sunday (10/23/2022). On Thursday (27/10/2022), the foreign ministers of ASEAN members held an emergency meeting without a Myanmar delegation.​

"ASEAN can vacate the Myanmar delegation. Do not invite them to the meeting, unless they want to leave," said Suzie to Pro3 RRI, Saturday (29/10/2022).​

But, he said, if a country were to leave an international organization, it would take a long time. He gave an example with Britain leaving the European Union, otherwise known as Brexit.

According to him, what ASEAN can do with Myanmar regarding the military operation is to hold an emergency meeting. All ASEAN members, without the Myanmar delegation, discussed Myanmar.

"The meeting, to remind again, ASEAN will act decisively against Myanmar. On the basis of not applying the five points (which) ASEAN recommended," said Suzie.

According to him, ASEAN has set the Five Consensus in 2021. Its contents include reducing violence.

Another point is the constructive dialogue between the warring parties. However, in August 2022, Myanmar Army General Min Aung Hlaing stated that he could not implement the consensus.

"Because of stability problems, domestic political problems (Myanmar, ed) are not good enough to carry out this," said Suzie.

The issue of Myanmar's internal political stability makes it difficult for the regime to implement it, plus the recent case of the bombing in Kachin, northern Myanmar. According to an AFP report, the bomb was dropped from a Myanmar Junta plane at a time when people were at a music concert.

"In Kachin, (the region, ed) there are separatist groups. So, ASEAN cannot intervene. The most that can be done is to press ahead and take sanctions," said Suzie.

According to him, ASEAN also does not have any provisions related to removing its members. He explained that this is common in international organizations, such as what happened at the United Nations. (RRI)

Harmonization of travel documents related to COVID-19 or standard health protocols is very important to accelerate economic recovery. This was said by the Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

According to him, the Indonesian government is starting to loosen travel restrictions while implementing health risk mitigation measures. This includes the implementation of health protocol guidelines.

"Harmonization is carried out through a risk-based approach while considering other factors, such as disease epidemiology and the capacity of the health system," he said in a statement as quoted from my country's health website, Saturday (10/29/2022).

He said there are several important aspects in the harmonization of health protocol standards including political and legal aspects. Country capacity and affordability, ethical, technical issues, adaptability and use of technology.

For this reason, he said, G20 countries were invited to participate in pilot projects in the Global Public Trust Repository. This project requires G20 members to share the public-key and will be stored in the repository platform.

"Documents related to COVID-19 from citizens in G20 countries will be recognized through the QR code on the certificate. Upon arrival and departure while protecting data privacy and security," he said.

He said the global health protocol standard became a tool for implementing health protocols in every country. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, global health protocols remain a tool to anticipate the next pandemic.

“Global health protocol standards based on digital passports can be used in the future when a pandemic occurs. So the tools are there," he said.

The existence of a mutually agreed health protocol standard is considered to facilitate the movement of goods and people during a pandemic. So that the wheels of the economy can still run and at the same time provide access to the needs of tools and medicines.

He said four other achievements that Indonesia wanted to achieve include the establishment of an emergency fund for the future. At the same time, to establish a mechanism for using these funds to provide equitable access to vaccines, therapies, and diagnostic tools.

"The next achievement is to build a global network of genome sequencing laboratories. In addition to redistributing resources and development capacity, production of vaccines, therapies, and other diagnostic tools globally," he said. (RRI)

The International Monetary Fund cut Asia's economic forecasts on Friday as global monetary tightening, rising inflation blamed on the war in Ukraine, and China's sharp slowdown dampened the region's recovery prospects.

While inflation in Asia remains subdued compared with other regions, most central banks must continue raising interest rates to ensure inflation expectations do not become de-anchored, the IMF said in its Asia-Pacific regional economic outlook report.

"Asia's strong economic rebound early this year is losing momentum, with a weaker-than expected second quarter," said Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department.

"Further tightening of monetary policy will be required to ensure that inflation returns to target and inflation expectations remain well anchored."

The IMF cut Asia's growth forecast to 4.0% this year and 4.3% next year, down 0.9% point and 0.8 point from April, respectively. The slowdown follows a 6.5% expansion in 2021.

"As the effects of the pandemic wane, the region faces new headwinds from global financial tightening and an expected slowdown of external demand," the report said.

Among the biggest headwinds is China's rapid and broad-based economic slowdown blamed on strict COVID-19 lockdowns and its worsening property woes, the IMF said.

"With a growing number of property developers defaulting on their debt over the past year, the sector's access to market financing has become increasingly challenging," the report said.

"Risks to the banking system from the real estate sector are rising because of substantial exposure."

The IMF expects China's growth to slow to 3.2% this year, a 1.2-point downgrade from its April projection, after an 8.1% rise in 2021. The world's second-largest economy is seen growing 4.4% next year and 4.5% in 2024, the IMF said.

While it expects China to gradually lift strict COVID-19 curbs next year, the IMF does not see a speedy resolution to Beijing's real estate crisis, which it said needed to be addressed in a comprehensive way to support growth.

"One would hope that with the party congress behind us, there would be further attention being paid to policy response to these," Srinivasan said.

"But we don't see a quick resolution of the real estate sector (crisis) because that could take longer," he added.

As Asian emerging economies are forced to raise rates to avoid rapid capital outflows, a "judicious" use of foreign exchange intervention could help ease the burden on monetary policy in some countries, the IMF said.

"This tool could be particularly useful among Asia's shallower foreign exchange markets" like the Philippines, or where currency mismatches on bank or corporate balance sheets heighten exchange-rate volatility risks such as in Indonesia, the IMF said.

"Foreign exchange intervention should be temporary to avoid side effects from sustained use, which may include increased risk-taking in the private sector," it said. (reuters)

South Korea will take part in Japan's naval fleet review next month, South Korea said on Thursday, despite objections to Japan's use of its "Rising Sun" flag, as South Korea seeks to mend ties with its neighbour.

The decision to take part in the fleet review, scheduled for Nov. 6, follows opposition from some South Korean lawmakers due to the use on Japanese warships of the ensign, a centuries-old design that was used by Japan's military during World War Two.

Many people in South Korea see the red-and-white flag as a symbol of Japan's past military aggression and its colonisation.

In 2018, Japan decided not to take part in South Korea's fleet review after South Korea effectively asked Japan not to fly the "Rising Sun" flag on its warships.

South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement the decision to take part this year was made with the security situation in mind, given the unprecedented pace of North Korea's weapons tests this year.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has said he wants to improve ties with Japan.

Relations between the U.S. allies have been strained by various disputes including one over compensation for Koreans conscripted by Japan as forced labourers during World War Two. (Reuters)