Labuan Bajo, NTT (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reiterated the importance of ending the violence in Myanmar ahead of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.
The summit is scheduled to take place from May 9–11, 2023.
At a press conference here on Monday, he stressed that the violence has to be stopped as the people, at the end, become victims to the conflict.
He also expressed regret over the delivery of humanitarian aid being hindered by the ongoing violence, which is making it difficult to reach affected communities.
“The problem is access,” President Jokowi said, adding that he wants to emphasize the determination of Indonesia and ASEAN to call for an end to the violence in Myanmar.
"Stop using force. Stop violence,” he said.
The establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management (AHA Centre) was initiated under Indonesia’s chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2011.
"This condition (the ongoing conflict) will not advantage anyone. I invite all parties to have a dialogue to find solutions together," Widodo said.
The situation in Myanmar is complex since the conflict has been on for more than seven decades, he added.
Hence, as the chair of ASEAN in 2023, Indonesia will continue to push for the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar, which prescribes measures such as opening access for ASEAN countries to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, he added.
Earlier, at a press conference in Jakarta on May 5, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said that the AHA Centre has disbursed the assistance in two stages, with the first being the distribution of life-saving aid, which has helped the people of Myanmar to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. The aid disbursal has been completed.
Meanwhile, the second stage has been the disbursement of life-sustaining assistance, which is currently still being implemented, she noted.
She said that the AHA Centre has faced difficulties sending assistance to people in need, especially those living in regions that are beyond the control of the Myanmar military junta.
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