SENATOR THE HON MARISE PAYNE
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Women
Statement on ASEAN Summit
25 April 2021
Australia welcomes the convening yesterday of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta, and the discussions on the crisis in Myanmar.
Since the coup of 1 February, Australia has consistently called for the military regime to exercise restraint, refrain from violence, release all those detained and engage in dialogue. Australia condemns the continued and horrific use of lethal force against civilians in Myanmar, including women and children. We remain concerned by the implications of the worsening situation in Myanmar for regional stability.
Following the ASEAN Leaders Meeting, we commend both ASEAN’s leadership and the leadership of Brunei Darussalam as ASEAN Chair, under difficult circumstances, to bring regional parties together to discuss the crisis in Myanmar. We welcome the five points of consensus on the situation in Myanmar related to:
- immediate cessation of violence
- commencement of constructive dialogue among all parties concerned
- a special envoy of the ASEAN Chair who will facilitate mediation of the dialogue process, with the assistance of the ASEAN Secretary-General
- ASEAN provision of humanitarian assistance through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management
- a visit to Myanmar by the Special Envoy and delegation to meet all parties concerned.
As ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner, we are strongly committed to constructively supporting ASEAN’s efforts, and we urge the implementation of the five points of consensus as soon as possible.
Australia sees ASEAN at the core of an open, stable and resilient Indo-Pacific. It has a critical role to play in charting a course out of the current crisis.
In support of these efforts and the five points of consensus agreed at the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, Australia will provide A$5 million to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.
Australia will continue to work closely with our regional partners, particularly ASEAN, to de-escalate the situation in Myanmar and support regional efforts towards a resolution. Australia’s policy settings on Myanmar, including options for sanctions, will continue to be revised in support of the Myanmar people.
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Given the paucity of Australia’s government to introduce a meaningful determined intervention to halt the killings and violence impacting Myanmar’s people, nor reduce the Human Rights abuses in themselves that are also being ignored.
Australia’s citizens are well able to conclude that empty rhetoric is the response favored by Australia’s weak and woeful government.
Words themselves will not reduce the horrors routinely inflicted upon Myanmar’s severely oppressed people.
Military peace-keeper intervention is necessarily warranted.
Only a fool would believe otherwise.