QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 20 Feb) — It has been a year since the Myanmar military toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup. Here in the Philippines, we haven’t really paid too much attention to the situation evolving in Myanmar or the attempts of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help resolve the situation. We Filipinos have been too preoccupied with election fever or COVID fever. But we should. Not only is it our moral obligation to address human suffering of communities at the hands of their own leaders but Myanmar is a neighbor, a member of our ASEAN community, with a minority Muslim community that has been enduring ethnic conflict as we in Mindanao had in the dark days of Martial Law.
A few days ago, ASEAN called on Myanmar to facilitate visits by its new special envoy, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to help defuse the volatile political conflict. Foreign Minister Sokhonn urged the military junta to consider him a “bridge” between the conflicting parties – theNational Unity Government (NUG), with Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and the junta.
Last April, ASEAN leaders met with Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and reached a five-point consensus on how to tackle the political crisis. The agenda includes: 1) the immediate cessation of violence; 2) constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to reach a peaceful solution; 3) mediation to be facilitated by an envoy of ASEAN; 4) humanitarian assistance provided by ASEAN; and 5) a visit by the special envoy and delegation to facilitate peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Our guest on She Talks Peace, Yuyun Wahyuningrum, had also sounded off her own concerns over Myanmar early on. Yuyun represents the Indonesian government at the governing board of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. She was recently re-elected as the Indonesian representative to AICHR. The AICHR is an integral part of the ASEAN organization with overall responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN.
When Yuyun was re-elected, an Indonesian writer had posted his hope that “ there will be continuity in Indonesia’s efforts so far to encourage the implementation of AICHR’s mandate, in addition to the implementation of AICHR programs that reflect Indonesia’s leadership and interests in the field of Human Rights, especially in preparing Indonesia’s chairmanship in ASEAN in 2023.” A fitting hope, given Yuyun’s 20+ years activism in the field of human rights and peacebuilding.
What is interesting is that her undergraduate degree was in Library Science. Not a logical step for decades of work fighting authoritarian regimes and promoting human rights.
Last year, when the three-day ASEAN regional summit opened without Myanmar, Yuyun was quoted as saying that “All member states agreed that the issue in Myanmar is a regional issue, requiring a regional solution and all member states to commit to it. If Myanmar or any country in the region does not commit to a Five-Point Consensus, there should be an implication.” Myanmar’s ruling junta had refused to send a nonpolitical representative to the meeting in place of its top military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The exclusion of Myanmar at the summit was considered ASEAN’s biggest rebuke of Myanmar since the coup that toppled a civilian government under the de facto leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi.
What has happened since then? Our conversation with Yuyun on “She Talks Peace,” while revealing disturbing political realities and human suffering, also gave us some basis for optimism about a possible peaceful resolution. Yuyun gives us the impression that ASEAN has changed – even if at a turtle’s pace – and has become more supportive and protective of human rights in member states. In Myanmar where the Muslim Rohingya are suffering oppressive conditions not just because of their ethnicity but because of their faith, Yuyun has reminded that “the promotion of religious tolerance, respect for diversity, and mutual understanding should be of utmost importance in the ASEAN, with a view to creating an environment conducive to full enjoyment of the freedom of religion or belief by all persons.”
AICHR’s work and statements over the past years have shown this shift from an ASEAN tunnel vision on state security to human security. How far can ASEAN – or AICHR – go? It has been suggested that AICHR can investigate human rights violations in Myanmar. That would be a powerful move. However, some member states – perhaps with human rights violations of their own to hide – will most likely block such a move.
Do come and eavesdrop on our conversation with Yuyun and learn why she bangs pots and pans.
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(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Amina Rasul is the President of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, an advocate for Mindanao and the Bangsamoro, peace, human rights and democracy).
