Indonesia, now the world’s third-largest democracy, was ruled by military leader Suharto for more than three decades before he stepped down amid mass protests and an economic crisis in 1998.
The military took over in Myanmar in 1962, isolating the country and suppressing dissent for decades until a tentative opening up began in 2011.
But its experiment with democracy, which included elections swept by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, came to end and two years ago when the military ousted Suu Kyi’s government, reimposed strict military rule and crushed protests.
With Myanmar again drawing Western condemnation and sanctions, ASEAN came up with a five-point plan for it, including an end to violence, dialogue, humanitarian assistance, and a visit by an ASEAN envoy to all sides.
But Myanmar’s generals, while paying lip service to the ASEAN effort, have shown no inclination to implement it, and previous ASEAN envoys have achieved little.
Jokowi, speaking on the second anniversary of Myanmar’s 2021 coup, said he was committed to the plan but added that ASEAN would “not be held hostage” to the Myanmar conflict and if there was no progress it would “act decisively”.
He did not elaborate on any action.
Source: CNA
