PM says Asean must have a strong stance on the Myanmar crisis

JAKARTA: Asean countries must be more forthcoming and bold regarding their position related to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In an exclusive interview with Jakarta Post, the Prime Minister said that the regional bloc must take a strong stance on the matter.

"We have said that a policy of non-interference must be reviewed in a sense that when in effect [...] Asean countries have to be more forthcoming and bold in terms of their position.

"Malaysia, for example, has to accommodate more than 200,000 refugees from Myanmar, mainly Rohingya.

"And of course, Malaysians generally, including Muslims, feel disgusted by the atrocities inflicted upon minorities in Myanmar.

"We, therefore, have to take a clear, bold position in support of our Asean position to strongly urge Myanmar to accommodate," he said during an interview recently.

Anwar was asked to state Malaysia’s stance on the Myanmar crisis, considering that it had hosted refugees from Myanmar and that the country was geographically closer to Myanmar.

When asked how Malaysia felt about Indonesia’s proposal to have a troika mechanism for the special envoy to Myanmar before Malaysia assumed the Asean chair in 2025 after Laos, Anwar said that Malaysia supported such an effort.

"But you know, for this sort of more sensitive, contentious issue, Asean has to reach a consensus.

"Indonesia has done its part, very boldly and positively in the measures, but then it would also require responses on the part of the military junta.

"So for now, whether it’s a troika or other engagements on an informal level by neighbouring countries, they have got to be explored," said Anwar.

Southeast Asian leaders have agreed to set up a "troika mechanism" comprising the immediate past, current and incoming chairs of their regional grouping to tackle the crisis in Myanmar, with the Philippines set to replace the junta-run country at the helm in 2026.

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the leaders reiterated the need to stop the violence in Myanmar while agreeing to establish a troika mechanism that would allow the immediate past, current and incoming Asean chairs to manage the crisis together and continuously.